20121116025549I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Grumman American Avn. AA-5B · Bedford, IN · November 16, 2012

Date: November 16, 2012 · 15:30 local
Place: Bedford, IN
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N74619
Reported as: Grumman American Avn. AA-5B
Reported engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Airline transport
Pilot’s flight hours: 14,666 total211 in this make and model1 in the last 90 days

N74619Registered now · Grumman American Avn. AA-5BS/N AA5B-0289 · Built 1976 Airframe modelGrumman American Avn. AA-5B Engine modelLycoming O&VO-360 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.

On 11/16/2012, the pilot departed kbmg (bloomington monroe county airport) for a local VFR flight and landed at kdcy (daviess county airport) for fuel. After taking on 19.6 gallons of avgas the pilot departed and performed air maneuvers consisting of stalls, steep turns, and slow flight. The pilot then proceeded to kbfr (virgil I. Grissom airport) to practice touch and go landings. After performing at least two touch and go landings the pilot initiated a climb and moved the fuel tank selector from the right fuel tank to the left fuel tank at about 1000 ft AGL. Approximately 15 seconds later the engine began to lose power and the pilot's attempts to restore engine power by switching back to the right fuel tank and turning on the electric fuel pump were not successful. The pilot then turned back to kbfr but realizing that he could not make the runway he landed in the nearest field approximately 1 mile from the departure end of runway 31.

As the FAA filed it

ON 11/16/2012, THE PILOT DEPARTED KBMG (BLOOMINGTON MONROE COUNTY AIRPORT) FOR A LOCAL VFR FLIGHT AND LANDED AT KDCY (DAVIESS COUNTY AIRPORT) FOR FUEL. AFTER TAKING ON 19.6 GALLONS OF AVGAS THE PILOT DEPARTED AND PERFORMED AIR MANEUVERS CONSISTING OF STALLS, STEEP TURNS, AND SLOW FLIGHT. THE PILOT THEN PROCEEDED TO KBFR (VIRGIL I. GRISSOM AIRPORT) TO PRACTICE TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS. AFTER PERFORMING AT LEAST TWO TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS THE PILOT INITIATED A CLIMB AND MOVED THE FUEL TANK SELECTOR FROM THE RIGHT FUEL TANK TO THE LEFT FUEL TANK AT ABOUT 1000 FT AGL. APPROXIMATELY 15 SECONDS LATER THE ENGINE BEGAN TO LOSE POWER AND THE PILOT'S ATTEMPTS TO RESTORE ENGINE POWER BY SWITCHING BACK TO THE RIGHT FUEL TANK AND TURNING ON THE ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP WERE NOT SUCCESSFUL. THE PILOT THEN TURNED BACK TO KBFR BUT REALIZING THAT HE COULD NOT MAKE THE RUNWAY HE LANDED IN THE NEAREST FIELD APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE FROM THE DEPARTURE END OF RUNWAY 31.