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20130109000349I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Cullis Eric L LOEHLE SPORT PARASOL · Pelion, SC · January 9, 2013

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
January 9, 2013 · 14:00 local
Place
Pelion, SC
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N2295P
Reported as
Cullis Eric L Loehle Sport Parasol
Reported engine
Amateur-built 503 UL DCD1
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
1,100 total8 in this make and model12 in the last 90 days
N2295PRegistration cancelled May 4, 2019 · Cullis Eric L LOEHLE SPORT PARASOLS/N SP093271-3 · Built 1993Airframe modelCullis Eric L LOEHLE SPORT PARASOLEngine modelAmateur-built UNKNOWN ENG

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.

Pilot statement: cruising at approximately 1000 feet AGL, at 55 knots IAS, my light sport aircraft engine (Rotax 503) sputtered. I looked down at the fuel line from the rear tank (which I was using) and saw air bubbles moving through it. I opened the valve for the front tank, but apparently too late. The engine quit. The engine pull start handle is on the floor between the rudder pedals; I could not reach it without releasing my shoulder harness. I quickly decided against releasing the harness, less the engine not start and I would not be fully strapped in during emergency landing. It was time to fully concentrate on the landing. I located what appeared to be my best option for a field in which to land and carefully watched airspeed on the approach. There were power lines and telephone cable across the approach end of my target field. Going above them would have put me too FAR into the short field. I decided on forward stick to try to go under the lines once I was close enough. My landing gear hit the ground hard just short of the power lines, tearing off the right main wheel at that time; the plane bounced but went under the lines. Touching down in the field. The right main gear strut dug into the ground, spinning the plane to the right and putting the right wing tip into the ground. It stopped quickly at that point, pointed 90 degrees left from the flight path. I was conscious the entire time and did not sustain any injuries.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT STATEMENT: CRUISING AT APPROXIMATELY 1000 FEET AGL, AT 55 KNOTS IAS, MY LIGHT SPORT AIRCRAFT ENGINE (ROTAX 503) SPUTTERED. I LOOKED DOWN AT THE FUEL LINE FROM THE REAR TANK (WHICH I WAS USING) AND SAW AIR BUBBLES MOVING THROUGH IT. I OPENED THE VALVE FOR THE FRONT TANK, BUT APPARENTLY TOO LATE. THE ENGINE QUIT. THE ENGINE PULL START HANDLE IS ON THE FLOOR BETWEEN THE RUDDER PEDALS; I COULD NOT REACH IT WITHOUT RELEASING MY SHOULDER HARNESS. I QUICKLY DECIDED AGAINST RELEASING THE HARNESS, LESS THE ENGINE NOT START AND I WOULD NOT BE FULLY STRAPPED IN DURING EMERGENCY LANDING. IT WAS TIME TO FULLY CONCENTRATE ON THE LANDING. I LOCATED WHAT APPEARED TO BE MY BEST OPTION FOR A FIELD IN WHICH TO LAND AND CAREFULLY WATCHED AIRSPEED ON THE APPROACH. THERE WERE POWER LINES AND TELEPHONE CABLE ACROSS THE APPROACH END OF MY TARGET FIELD. GOING ABOVE THEM WOULD HAVE PUT ME TOO FAR INTO THE SHORT FIELD. I DECIDED ON FORWARD STICK TO TRY TO GO UNDER THE LINES ONCE I WAS CLOSE ENOUGH. MY LANDING GEAR HIT THE GROUND HARD JUST SHORT OF THE POWER LINES, TEARING OFF THE RIGHT MAIN WHEEL AT THAT TIME; THE PLANE BOUNCED BUT WENT UNDER THE LINES. TOUCHING DOWN IN THE FIELD. THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR STRUT DUG INTO THE GROUND, SPINNING THE PLANE TO THE RIGHT AND PUTTING THE RIGHT WING TIP INTO THE GROUND. IT STOPPED QUICKLY AT THAT POINT, POINTED 90 DEGREES LEFT FROM THE FLIGHT PATH. I WAS CONSCIOUS THE ENTIRE TIME AND DID NOT SUSTAIN ANY INJURIES.