20121001022379I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Richardson Calvin R ZENITH 601 XL · Chico, CA · October 1, 2012

Date
October 1, 2012 · 10:56 local
Place
Chico, CA
Airport
Chico Airport
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N224XP
Reported as
Richardson Calvin R Zenith 601 XL
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-235 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0

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.

A narrative statement from pilotprivacy data omitted.on the morning of October 1, 2012 at approximately 0845 I took off from Chico Airport requesting a right hand departure. The airplane was handling well as usual my oil pressure was steady at 76 lbs. Oil temps were normal CHT,s again all normal. I ascended to 5000 ft. leveled off checked cht's 335 to 340 oil temp at 196 degrees and oil pressure at 77 lbs. I again started to slow climb of 380 ft. per minute again noting all was normal engine running smooth it was a great morning to fly! I again leveled off at 6500 ft. MSL and continued on a north bound heading. Noting all pressures and temps were normal I started to make a slow left turn to stay in a 50 mile radius from Chico Airport when I got a red warning light on the panel. A quick scan showed 0 oil pressure all the other temps were normal tightened my turn to head back to Chico I radioed my friend privacy data omitted who was flying alongside me of what was happening we thought that it was a faulty sending unit or bad wire due to all the temps remained normal as we were heading to Chico I noted I was 23.5 miles from the airport. Again privacy data omitted and I were sure I was seeing a false reading then I noticed my oil temp were falling off from 195 to 185 and falling so now I know something has failed pulling the engine to idle and setting up for my best glide and picking a target for deer creek strip. That's when the prop stopped I informed privacy data omitted I was dead stick and heading for the "vina mat" I tried to restart the engine no luck she was frozen ok now the only option I have is to make the mat. privacy data omitted Stayed on frequency with me as I was gliding to my target I was calling out to him my decent I told him this will be tight but I think I can make it. As I was near the ground all I have to do is make it over this fence and I'm down safely. The nose wheel made it over the fence however the main gear caught the top wires pulling me to the ground at this time my airspeed had bleed off to around 35 mph. The plane saw some nose wheel and wing tip damage broken wheel pants and to say the least a broken heart on my part however I was was not physically hurt just saddened by what had just happened. In the meantime privacy data omitted was in touch with the Chico tower and explained what had just happened and I was out of the plane and giving him the okay sign. Well that is about it minor damage to the airplane and I am not injured. I will wait for a while to make a decision on the fate of the airplane at this point in time I am thinking of turning in the n numbers and parting the plane out. The engine is history and I don't think I can afford to replace it.privacy data omitted Of N224XP

As the FAA filed it

A NARRATIVE STATEMENT FROM PILOT^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.ON THE MORNING OF OCTOBER 1, 2012 AT APPROXIMATELY 0845 I TOOK OFF FROM CHICO AIRPORT REQUESTING A RIGHT HAND DEPARTURE. THE AIRPLANE WAS HANDLING WELL AS USUAL MY OIL PRESSURE WAS STEADY AT 76 LBS. OIL TEMPS WERE NORMAL CHT,S AGAIN ALL NORMAL. I ASCENDED TO 5000 FT. LEVELED OFF CHECKED CHT'S 335 TO 340 OIL TEMP AT 196 DEGREES AND OIL PRESSURE AT 77 LBS. I AGAIN STARTED TO SLOW CLIMB OF 380 FT. PER MINUTE AGAIN NOTING ALL WAS NORMAL ENGINE RUNNING SMOOTH IT WAS A GREAT MORNING TO FLY! I AGAIN LEVELED OFF AT 6500 FT. MSL AND CONTINUED ON A NORTH BOUND HEADING. NOTING ALL PRESSURES AND TEMPS WERE NORMAL I STARTED TO MAKE A SLOW LEFT TURN TO STAY IN A 50 MILE RADIUS FROM CHICO AIRPORT WHEN I GOT A RED WARNING LIGHT ON THE PANEL. A QUICK SCAN SHOWED 0 OIL PRESSURE ALL THE OTHER TEMPS WERE NORMAL TIGHTENED MY TURN TO HEAD BACK TO CHICO I RADIOED MY FRIEND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WHO WAS FLYING ALONGSIDE ME OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING WE THOUGHT THAT IT WAS A FAULTY SENDING UNIT OR BAD WIRE DUE TO ALL THE TEMPS REMAINED NORMAL AS WE WERE HEADING TO CHICO I NOTED I WAS 23.5 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT. AGAIN ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND I WERE SURE I WAS SEEING A FALSE READING THEN I NOTICED MY OIL TEMP WERE FALLING OFF FROM 195 TO 185 AND FALLING SO NOW I KNOW SOMETHING HAS FAILED PULLING THE ENGINE TO IDLE AND SETTING UP FOR MY BEST GLIDE AND PICKING A TARGET FOR DEER CREEK STRIP. THAT'S WHEN THE PROP STOPPED I INFORMED ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ I WAS DEAD STICK AND HEADING FOR THE "VINA MAT" I TRIED TO RESTART THE ENGINE NO LUCK SHE WAS FROZEN OK NOW THE ONLY OPTION I HAVE IS TO MAKE THE MAT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STAYED ON FREQUENCY WITH ME AS I WAS GLIDING TO MY TARGET I WAS CALLING OUT TO HIM MY DECENT I TOLD HIM THIS WILL BE TIGHT BUT I THINK I CAN MAKE IT. AS I WAS NEAR THE GROUND ALL I HAVE TO DO IS MAKE IT OVER THIS FENCE AND I'M DOWN SAFELY. THE NOSE WHEEL MADE IT OVER THE FENCE HOWEVER THE MAIN GEAR CAUGHT THE TOP WIRES PULLING ME TO THE GROUND AT THIS TIME MY AIRSPEED HAD BLEED OFF TO AROUND 35 MPH. THE PLANE SAW SOME NOSE WHEEL AND WING TIP DAMAGE BROKEN WHEEL PANTS AND TO SAY THE LEAST A BROKEN HEART ON MY PART HOWEVER I WAS WAS NOT PHYSICALLY HURT JUST SADDENED BY WHAT HAD JUST HAPPENED.IN THE MEANTIME ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS IN TOUCH WITH THE CHICO TOWER AND EXPLAINED WHAT HAD JUST HAPPENED AND I WAS OUT OF THE PLANE AND GIVING HIM THE OKAY SIGN. WELL THAT IS ABOUT IT MINOR DAMAGE TO THE AIRPLANE AND I AM NOT INJURED. I WILL WAIT FOR A WHILE TO MAKE A DECISION ON THE FATE OF THE AIRPLANE AT THIS POINT IN TIME I AM THINKING OF TURNING IN THE N NUMBERS AND PARTING THE PLANE OUT. THE ENGINE IS HISTORY AND I DON'T THINK I CAN AFFORD TO REPLACE IT.^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OF N224XP