20130830016459I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Webb Alan HARMON ROCKET II · Butte Falls, OR · August 30, 2013

Date: August 30, 2013 · 06:40 local
Place: Butte Falls, OR
Airport: Rogue Valley International - Medford
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N281AW
Reported as: Webb Alan Harmon Rocket II
Reported engine: Lycoming IO-540 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 2,500 total383 in this make and model13 in the last 90 days

N281AWRegistered now · Webb Alan HARMON ROCKET IIS/N 256 Airframe modelWebb Alan HARMON ROCKET II Engine modelLycoming IO-540 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.

Pilot reported uneventful takeoff from mfr and climb to 9500 ft, when he pulled the ram air intake control. As soon as the control was opened the engine lost power and would not go above 1250 RPM and 14.5 in manifold pressure. All attempts to reset engine and fuel controls failed to restore power. Pilot found clearing in open area by ranch house and landed safely off airport in field about 25 miles NE of mfr. No damage to aircraft or injury to pilot.

After landing found bird had lodged in ram air scoop sometime during or after takeoff, and had been sucked into the engine fuel servo unit when the ram air valve was opened. Replacement of fuel servo was all that was required to repair aircraft.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT REPORTED UNEVENTFUL TAKEOFF FROM MFR AND CLIMB TO 9500 FT, WHEN HE PULLED THE RAM AIR INTAKE CONTROL. AS SOON AS THE CONTROL WAS OPENED THE ENGINE LOST POWER AND WOULD NOT GO ABOVE 1250 RPM AND 14.5 IN MANIFOLD PRESSURE. ALL ATTEMPTS TO RESET ENGINE AND FUEL CONTROLS FAILED TO RESTORE POWER. PILOT FOUND CLEARING IN OPEN AREA BY RANCH HOUSE AND LANDED SAFELY OFF AIRPORT IN FIELD ABOUT 25 MILES NE OF MFR. NO DAMAGE TO AIRCRAFT OR INJURY TO PILOT.

AFTER LANDING FOUND BIRD HAD LODGED IN RAM AIR SCOOP SOMETIME DURING OR AFTER TAKEOFF, AND HAD BEEN SUCKED INTO THE ENGINE FUEL SERVO UNIT WHEN THE RAM AIR VALVE WAS OPENED. REPLACEMENT OF FUEL SERVO WAS ALL THAT WAS REQUIRED TO REPAIR AIRCRAFT.