What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On December 5, 2013, at or about 1550 EST, airman privacy data omitted, holder of commercial pilot certificate number privacy data omitted, while acting as pilot in command of N112TH, an experimental amateur built velocity, experienced insufficient engine power to accelerate or climb after takeoff from the st. lucie county international airport runway 10R, Fort Pierce, Florida. Upon recognition of the apparent insufficient engine power privacy data omitted elected to reduce power and land straight ahead. After safely landing and rolling out approximately 1000 feet in the grass the nose gear collapsed as a result of soft terrain. The aircraft traveled approximately 30 feet after the nose gear collapsed. Minor damaged sustained was limited to the nose landing gear and landing gear doors.
The airman?s pilot records indicate that the airman was current and qualified at the time of the incident. The airman?s decision to reduce power and land straight ahead based on the poor performance of the aircraft was one that is not easily evaluated in retrospect. The airman indicated that the engine run up appeared normal. The airman described a normal takeoff roll, rotation, rotation speed, and climb attitude however, once airborne the airman described the engine as not producing enough power to climb or accelerate. The airman stated that this was the first time he flew this aircraft since purchasing and reassembling this aircraft after relocating this aircraft to Fort Pierce. The airman indicated that he was trained and flew the same make and model aircraft in days prior to the incident.
The aircraft maintenance records indicated that the aircraft was airworthy prior to the incident. The aircraft had sufficient fuel which appeared to be of good quality onboard for the planed flight. The fuel system and electric pump delivered fuel to the fuel injector servo normally. The induction air filter was unobstructed. A visual inspection of the engine with the cowling removed revealed no readily identifiable defects. The propeller appeared to be in new condition. An A&P mechanic who inspected and ran the engine also found no obvious defects and indicated that the engine ran normally.
Weather was VFR at the time of the incident and is not considered to have been a factor.
Investigation of this incident has revealed no apparent cause for a lack of engine power after liftoff or other factors which would adversely affect the performance of the aircraft. The aircraft is an experimental amateur built airplane with approximately 50 hours total time on the airframe. No FAA responsibilities were identified during this incident investigation.
As the FAA filed it
ON DECEMBER 5, 2013, AT OR ABOUT 1550 EST, AIRMAN ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, HOLDER OF COMMERCIAL PILOT CERTIFICATE NUMBER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, WHILE ACTING AS PILOT IN COMMAND OF N112TH, AN EXPERIMENTAL AMATEUR BUILT VELOCITY, EXPERIENCED INSUFFICIENT ENGINE POWER TO ACCELERATE OR CLIMB AFTER TAKEOFF FROM THE ST. LUCIE COUNTY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT RUNWAY 10R, FORT PIERCE, FLORIDA. UPON RECOGNITION OF THE APPARENT INSUFFICIENT ENGINE POWER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ELECTED TO REDUCE POWER AND LAND STRAIGHT AHEAD. AFTER SAFELY LANDING AND ROLLING OUT APPROXIMATELY 1000 FEET IN THE GRASS THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED AS A RESULT OF SOFT TERRAIN. THE AIRCRAFT TRAVELED APPROXIMATELY 30 FEET AFTER THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED. MINOR DAMAGED SUSTAINED WAS LIMITED TO THE NOSE LANDING GEAR AND LANDING GEAR DOORS.
THE AIRMAN?S PILOT RECORDS INDICATE THAT THE AIRMAN WAS CURRENT AND QUALIFIED AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THE AIRMAN?S DECISION TO REDUCE POWER AND LAND STRAIGHT AHEAD BASED ON THE POOR PERFORMANCE OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS ONE THAT IS NOT EASILY EVALUATED IN RETROSPECT. THE AIRMAN INDICATED THAT THE ENGINE RUN UP APPEARED NORMAL. THE AIRMAN DESCRIBED A NORMAL TAKEOFF ROLL, ROTATION, ROTATION SPEED, AND CLIMB ATTITUDE HOWEVER, ONCE AIRBORNE THE AIRMAN DESCRIBED THE ENGINE AS NOT PRODUCING ENOUGH POWER TO CLIMB OR ACCELERATE. THE AIRMAN STATED THAT THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME HE FLEW THIS AIRCRAFT SINCE PURCHASING AND REASSEMBLING THIS AIRCRAFT AFTER RELOCATING THIS AIRCRAFT TO FORT PIERCE. THE AIRMAN INDICATED THAT HE WAS TRAINED AND FLEW THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL AIRCRAFT IN DAYS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT.
THE AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE RECORDS INDICATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS AIRWORTHY PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. THE AIRCRAFT HAD SUFFICIENT FUEL WHICH APPEARED TO BE OF GOOD QUALITY ONBOARD FOR THE PLANED FLIGHT. THE FUEL SYSTEM AND ELECTRIC PUMP DELIVERED FUEL TO THE FUEL INJECTOR SERVO NORMALLY. THE INDUCTION AIR FILTER WAS UNOBSTRUCTED. A VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE WITH THE COWLING REMOVED REVEALED NO READILY IDENTIFIABLE DEFECTS. THE PROPELLER APPEARED TO BE IN NEW CONDITION. AN A&P MECHANIC WHO INSPECTED AND RAN THE ENGINE ALSO FOUND NO OBVIOUS DEFECTS AND INDICATED THAT THE ENGINE RAN NORMALLY.
WEATHER WAS VFR AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT AND IS NOT CONSIDERED TO HAVE BEEN A FACTOR.
INVESTIGATION OF THIS INCIDENT HAS REVEALED NO APPARENT CAUSE FOR A LACK OF ENGINE POWER AFTER LIFTOFF OR OTHER FACTORS WHICH WOULD ADVERSELY AFFECT THE PERFORMANCE OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT IS AN EXPERIMENTAL AMATEUR BUILT AIRPLANE WITH APPROXIMATELY 50 HOURS TOTAL TIME ON THE AIRFRAME. NO FAA RESPONSIBILITIES WERE IDENTIFIED DURING THIS INCIDENT INVESTIGATION.
Other reports on N112TH · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.