20130824016849I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Stinson 108 · Louisa, VA · August 24, 2013

Date: August 24, 2013 · 09:07 local
Place: Louisa, VA
Airport: Louisa County
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N8547K
Reported as: Stinson 108
Reported engine: Franklin 6A
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Airline transport, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 20,000 total1 in this make and model15 in the last 90 days

N8547KRegistered now · Stinson 108S/N 108-1547 Airframe modelStinson 108 Engine modelFranklin 6A4150 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.

As reported by pilot, right after rotation he realized that his rate of climb was only 500 fpm, instead of the expected 1600. The engine started popping and backfiring, and the pilot elected to return to the airport, but upon realizing that he would be unable to reach the airport, he decided to land in a pasture about one mile short of the runway. Aircraft sustained minor damage, due to collision with an electric fence, which caused the aircraft to nose over, no injuries.

As the FAA filed it

AS REPORTED BY PILOT, RIGHT AFTER ROTATION HE REALIZED THAT HIS RATE OF CLIMB WAS ONLY 500 FPM, INSTEAD OF THE EXPECTED 1600. THE ENGINE STARTED POPPING AND BACKFIRING, AND THE PILOT ELECTED TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT, BUT UPON REALIZING THAT HE WOULD BE UNABLE TO REACH THE AIRPORT, HE DECIDED TO LAND IN A PASTURE ABOUT ONE MILE SHORT OF THE RUNWAY. AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE, DUE TO COLLISION WITH AN ELECTRIC FENCE, WHICH CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO NOSE OVER, NO INJURIES.