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20110704013459A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Fessenden Alfred EXPERMENTAL RV-4 · Okeechobee, FL · July 4, 2011

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 4, 2011 · 09:45 local
Place
Okeechobee, FL
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Rotation
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N3226N
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA11LA400
Reported as
Fessenden Alfred Expermental RV-4
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
466 total372 in this make and model6 in the last 90 days
N3226NRegistered now · Fessenden Alfred EXPERMENTAL RV-4S/N 243Airframe modelFessenden Alfred EXPERMENTAL RV-4Engine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

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.

07/04/2011 This aircraft was involved in an accident while taking off from runway 11, a 3000' grass strip, located in indian hammock airport, in fort drum, Florida. The pilot stated that "as the aircraft gained altitude over the runway, at about 30' AGL, the engined sputtered twice and cut-off. The pilot observed that he was about half way down the runway when he attempted to put the aircraft down on the remaining 1500' of runway. However, after realizing that he could not land safely on the runway and knowing that at the end of the runway there was a large drainage canal, he decided to turn the aircraft to right and land on some palmetto scrub. At that time the right wing impacted the runway and caused the aircraft to violently spin around and impact the terrain causing the engine mount to snap off of the airframe and the landing gear to sever. The aircraft came to rest on the centerline of the runway at the east end of the runway. The pilot and his daughter were not injured and there was not a post accident fire.

As the FAA filed it

07/04/2011 THIS AIRCRAFT WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WHILE TAKING OFF FROM RUNWAY 11, A 3000' GRASS STRIP, LOCATED IN INDIAN HAMMOCK AIRPORT, IN FORT DRUM, FLORIDA. THE PILOT STATED THAT "AS THE AIRCRAFT GAINED ALTITUDE OVER THE RUNWAY, AT ABOUT 30' AGL, THE ENGINED SPUTTERED TWICE AND CUT-OFF. THE PILOT OBSERVED THAT HE WAS ABOUT HALF WAY DOWN THE RUNWAY WHEN HE ATTEMPTED TO PUT THE AIRCRAFT DOWN ON THE REMAINING 1500' OF RUNWAY. HOWEVER, AFTER REALIZING THAT HE COULD NOT LAND SAFELY ON THE RUNWAY AND KNOWING THAT AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY THERE WAS A LARGE DRAINAGE CANAL, HE DECIDED TO TURN THE AIRCRAFT TO RIGHT AND LAND ON SOME PALMETTO SCRUB. AT THAT TIME THE RIGHT WING IMPACTED THE RUNWAY AND CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO VIOLENTLY SPIN AROUND AND IMPACT THE TERRAIN CAUSING THE ENGINE MOUNT TO SNAP OFF OF THE AIRFRAME AND THE LANDING GEAR TO SEVER. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON THE CENTERLINE OF THE RUNWAY AT THE EAST END OF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT AND HIS DAUGHTER WERE NOT INJURED AND THERE WAS NOT A POST ACCIDENT FIRE.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ERA11LA400Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportFort Drum, FLA total loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.Jul 4, 2011 · Substantial damage