# Accident 20110626013739A: Lemond John FLY FISHER, West Glacier, MT, June 26, 2011

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 26, 2011, 10:03 local time
- Place: West Glacier, MT
- Airport: Ryan Field
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 48.4831° N, 113.9594° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=48.4831&lon=-113.9594&mi=10
- Aircraft: N397JL (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: LEMOND JOHN FLY FISHER
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-320-E2D
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 2
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 1,494 total, 623 in this make and model, 25 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR11LA289](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR11LA289) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20110626013739A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

NOTE: TIMES, HEADINGS, AND ALTITUDES ARE APPROXIMATE. AIRCRAFT TOOK OFF FROM RYAN FIELD, MT, (EAST OF WEST GLACIER) AT 1000 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME (MDT). THE AIRCRAFT, AN EXPERIMENTAL AMATEUR BUILT FLYFISHER (BASED ON THE PIPER PA12), ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND PILOTED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, A PRIVATE PILOT WITH SINGLE ENGINE LAND AND SEA RATINGS. THE PILOT REPORTED HE SUMPED THE FUEL TANKS DURING THE PREFLIGHT THAT MORNING, ABOUT ¼ CUP PER DRAIN, NO WATER WAS NOTED. THE FLIGHT WAS VFR, NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED.  THE FLIGHT WAS PART 91. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED A 10 MINUTE RUNUP & MAGNETO WERE COMPLETED PRIOR TO TAKEOFF, THE LONGER RUNUP IN PART DUE TO THE HEAVY DEW FROM EARLIER THAT MORNING. THE AIRCRAFT TOOK OFF TO THE SOUTH ON RUNWAY 15, AT 1000 MDT. OTHER PILOTS ON THE GROUND & ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HEARD ONE ENGINE "POP" WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WAS HALF WAY DOWN THE RUNWAY; ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CHECKED HIS GAGES AND DID NOT SEE ANY FLUCTUATION, SO CONTINUED THE TAKEOFF.  ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HAD CLIMBED TO 200 FEET AGL AT THE THRESHOLD OF THE RUNWAY, WHEN HE HEARD THE ENGINE LOOSE POWER.  HE STATED IT QUIT LIKE IT HAD A "SLUG OF WATER". OTHER PILOTS ON THE GROUND DESCRIBED IT AS THE ENGINE "SPUTTERED". ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ LOOKED AHEAD AND SAW WATER, TREES AND HILLS AHEAD, AND SAW AN OPENING IN THE TREES CLOSE TO AND BELOW THE RUNWAY.  HE TURNED AROUND TO HEAD TO THAT OPEN AREA. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACT WAS LOW ANGLE, AND LOW ENERGY THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED FROM IMPACTING TREES AND THE GROUND. FORWARD SPEED WAS DISSIPATED WHEN TREES WERE HIT. BOTH WINGS STRUCK TREES; THE LEFT WING HIT A SMALLER TREE CRUSHING THE LEADING EDGE TO THE SPAR, DISPLACING THE LEADING EDGE UP; THE RIGHT WING STRUCK A LARGER TWO TRUNKED BIRCH TREE, 8 TO 10" IN DIAMETER, CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, BREAKING BOTH SPARS AND TWISTING THE LEADING EDGE ON THE OUTBOARD HALF OF THE WING TO THE TRAILING EDGE, BREAKING THE LIFT STRUTS AND FOLDING THE WING UP TO THE VERTICAL POSITION. THE LIFT STRUTS WERE ALSO BROKEN. THE AIRCRAFT ROTATED ABOUT 180 DEGREES FROM THE ORIGINAL DIRECTION OF FLIGHT, POINTED AT 188 DEGREE MAGNETIC HEADING.  THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON THE RIGHT SIDE WITH THE RIGHT WING MORE OR LESS PARALLEL TO THE GROUND AND THE LEFT WING PERPENDICULAR TO THE GROUND.  THE FUEL TANK WITH LEFT WING IN THE VERTICAL POSITION WAS FULL TO THE FUEL CAP, AS IT LEAKED OUT TO THE LEVEL. THE RIGHT WING FUEL TANK WAS FULL TO THE FILLER NECK. THE RIGHT ELEVATOR AND HORIZONTAL STABILIZER WERE BENT AND CURLED UPWARDS FROM IMPACT WITH THE GROUND. THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR WAS PARTIALLY TORN LOOSE AND FOLDED OVER TO THE LEFT MAIN GEAR. FUSELAGE LONGERONS WERE BENT AND THE CABIN OVERHEAD TUBING WAS PUSHED TOGETHER & DOWN IN THE CENTER OVERHEAD CABIN AREA. ALL FLIGHT CONTROLS WERE WITH THE AIRCRAFT. ONE PROPELLER BLADE WAS BROKEN OFF AND IMBEDDED IN A DOWNED TREE.  BOTH PILOT AND PASSENGER RECEIVED COMPRESSION BACK INJURIES, AND THE PASSENGER HAD BROKEN RIBS.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB WPR11LA289](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR11LA289), Jun 26, 2011: Lemond FLY Fisher (N397JL), West Glacier, MT, substantial damage. Probable cause: A total loss of engine power during takeoff due to water contamination in the fuel system. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s inadequate preflight inspection of the airplane.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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