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20120413006999I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Nelson Sydney/Nelson Diann ZODIACXL · Medina, OH · April 13, 2012

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
April 13, 2012 · 13:37 local
Place
Medina, OH
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N4337G
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN12LA245
Reported as
Nelson Sydney/Nelson Diann Zodiacxl
Reported engine
JABIRU 3300
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
N4337GRegistered now · Nelson Sydney/Nelson Diann ZODIACXLS/N 6391 · Built 2007Airframe modelNelson Sydney/Nelson Diann ZODIACXLEngine modelJabiru 33004 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.

On Friday April 13, 2012 aircraft N4337G, an experimental amatuer built zenith zodiac xl, was flying in the pattern of columbia station airport (4G8) and landed without incident at 4G8. After landing, the decision was made to fly to Medina airport (1G5), which is about 20 minutes away. When the aircraft was about 5 minutes from 1G5 it lost power for a few seconds, then power was restored. A few seconds later it happened again and continued to swithch back and forth. The pilot began to switch the fuel selector from both to left and then to right. This did not fix the problem. The carb heat was turned on and the fuel selector was switched back to both. Nothing worked and then the pilot noticed that his fuel pressure was reading zero, all the while, loosing altitude. Realizing that he wasn't going to make it to 1G5, he landed in a open field in a housing development. While rolling at about 15 mph his nose wheel fell into a soft hole and collapsed the nose gear. With the nose landing gear collapsed the aircraft came to rest at a nose down position, snapping off one of the propellors. The pilot's head hit the canopy which created a hole. When the pilot exited the aircraft he turned on the master switch and electric pump and the fuel pressure read 5 lbs. This has led him to believe that something was blocking the fuel. The pilot was taken to the hospital for precautionary reasons, but was released a few hours later after x-rays and stitches.

As the FAA filed it

ON FRIDAY APRIL 13, 2012 AIRCRAFT N4337G, AN EXPERIMENTAL AMATUER BUILT ZENITH ZODIAC XL, WAS FLYING IN THE PATTERN OF COLUMBIA STATION AIRPORT (4G8) AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT AT 4G8. AFTER LANDING, THE DECISION WAS MADE TO FLY TO MEDINA AIRPORT (1G5), WHICH IS ABOUT 20 MINUTES AWAY. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WAS ABOUT 5 MINUTES FROM 1G5 IT LOST POWER FOR A FEW SECONDS, THEN POWER WAS RESTORED. A FEW SECONDS LATER IT HAPPENED AGAIN AND CONTINUED TO SWITHCH BACK AND FORTH. THE PILOT BEGAN TO SWITCH THE FUEL SELECTOR FROM BOTH TO LEFT AND THEN TO RIGHT. THIS DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. THE CARB HEAT WAS TURNED ON AND THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS SWITCHED BACK TO BOTH. NOTHING WORKED AND THEN THE PILOT NOTICED THAT HIS FUEL PRESSURE WAS READING ZERO, ALL THE WHILE, LOOSING ALTITUDE. REALIZING THAT HE WASN'T GOING TO MAKE IT TO 1G5, HE LANDED IN A OPEN FIELD IN A HOUSING DEVELOPMENT. WHILE ROLLING AT ABOUT 15 MPH HIS NOSE WHEEL FELL INTO A SOFT HOLE AND COLLAPSED THE NOSE GEAR. WITH THE NOSE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST AT A NOSE DOWN POSITION, SNAPPING OFF ONE OF THE PROPELLORS. THE PILOT'S HEAD HIT THE CANOPY WHICH CREATED A HOLE. WHEN THE PILOT EXITED THE AIRCRAFT HE TURNED ON THE MASTER SWITCH AND ELECTRIC PUMP AND THE FUEL PRESSURE READ 5 LBS. THIS HAS LED HIM TO BELIEVE THAT SOMETHING WAS BLOCKING THE FUEL. THE PILOT WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL FOR PRECAUTIONARY REASONS, BUT WAS RELEASED A FEW HOURS LATER AFTER X-RAYS AND STITCHES.

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 CEN12LA245Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportMedina, OHA cracked fuel line, which resulted in a loss of fuel pressure and subsequent loss of engine power.Apr 13, 2012 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N4337G · 1

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

Incident 20221112018089ILanding: Touchdown · Apex, NCOn Saturday, November 12, 2022, at approximately 4:30 eastern time, the PIC (pilot in command) shot an approach to the uphill portion of the active runway at Cox Airport near Apex, NC. Upon touchdown at reduced power, the nose gear collapsed partially and the…Nov 12, 2022 · Minor damage