20110114000309I

Incident · No damage

FAA incident report · Wheeler L/H Zenair 601H · Mt Comfort, IN · January 14, 2011

Date: January 14, 2011 · 16:30 local
Place: Mt Comfort, IN
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: No damage
Aircraft: N601LH
Reported as: Wheeler L/H Zenair 601H
Reported engine: SUBARU EA-81
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 304 total125 in this make and model40 in the last 90 days

N601LHRegistered now · Wheeler L/Hutchinson D ZENAIR 601HDS/N 3349 · Built 2009 Airframe modelWheeler L/Hutchinson D ZENAIR 601HD Engine modelSubaru ALL MDLS A/B4 cycle

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Aircraft departed mt. Comfort airport (kmqj) climbing to 3000MSL. After flying manuevers for several minutes pilot heard the engine rev and immediately chopped power. Tried to increase power again to maintain prop speed and altitude and he smelled burning rubber so he stated he knew the redrive belt cogs had seperated and chopped power again. Pilot then initiated a power off landing in a nearby snow covered corn field. Pilot turned off the engine approximately 30 feet above the ground to stop prop rotation and prevent prop/engine damage. Pilot landed uneventfully in a cut corn field.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT DEPARTED MT. COMFORT AIRPORT (KMQJ) CLIMBING TO 3000MSL. AFTER FLYING MANUEVERS FOR SEVERAL MINUTES PILOT HEARD THE ENGINE REV AND IMMEDIATELY CHOPPED POWER. TRIED TO INCREASE POWER AGAIN TO MAINTAIN PROP SPEED AND ALTITUDE AND HE SMELLED BURNING RUBBER SO HE STATED HE KNEW THE REDRIVE BELT COGS HAD SEPERATED AND CHOPPED POWER AGAIN. PILOT THEN INITIATED A POWER OFF LANDING IN A NEARBY SNOW COVERED CORN FIELD. PILOT TURNED OFF THE ENGINE APPROXIMATELY 30 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND TO STOP PROP ROTATION AND PREVENT PROP/ENGINE DAMAGE. PILOT LANDED UNEVENTFULLY IN A CUT CORN FIELD.

Other reports on N601LH · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 20100318029789ILanding: Rollout · Greenfield, INThe aircraft departed the left side of runway 25 during the landing rollout. The pilot in the right seat landed the aircraft but brakes are not installed on that side so the controls were transferred to the pilot in command on the left side.Mar 18, 2010 · Minor damage