20111014025209A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Miller James Alan AVID FLYER · Susanville, CA · October 14, 2011

Date
October 14, 2011 · 11:17 local
Place
Susanville, CA
Airport
Spaulding Airport
Phase of flight
Climb
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N4077B
Reported as
Miller James Alan Avid Flyer
Reported engine
Bombardier ROTAX (ALL)
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
1,631 total1 in this make and model1 in the last 90 days

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.

The pilot reported that he had flown for about one hour in the local area. He performed a full stop landing and shut the engine down. Shortly thereafter, and with the engine still warm, he performed another flight in the traffic pattern. During initial climb-out, the engine began to vibrate and subsequently lost power. The aircraft received substantial damage as a result of a forced landing in a wooded area. Investigation revealed the fuel lines were recently replaced; however, the in-line paper element fuel filters were contrary to the engine manufacturers recommendations and the fuel line were secured with tie-wraps and not clamps.

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HAD FLOWN FOR ABOUT ONE HOUR IN THE LOCAL AREA. HE PERFORMED A FULL STOP LANDING AND SHUT THE ENGINE DOWN. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, AND WITH THE ENGINE STILL WARM, HE PERFORMED ANOTHER FLIGHT IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN. DURING INITIAL CLIMB-OUT, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO VIBRATE AND SUBSEQUENTLY LOST POWER. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AS A RESULT OF A FORCED LANDING IN A WOODED AREA. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE FUEL LINES WERE RECENTLY REPLACED; HOWEVER, THE IN-LINE PAPER ELEMENT FUEL FILTERS WERE CONTRARY TO THE ENGINE MANUFACTURERS RECOMMENDATIONS AND THE FUEL LINE WERE SECURED WITH TIE-WRAPS AND NOT CLAMPS.