What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 10, 2014, at approximately 1130 eastern daylight time, a Ridge Runner III aircraft, N39ZT, serial number 02030388, was substantially damaged during a forced landing, following a reported engine failure. Loss of engine power was experienced during take-off climb phase of flight at an altitude of 200 feet. The accident site was in a field located approximately .5 miles from the end of runway 26L at Andrews Murphy airport (krhp), in Andrews, north carolina. The sole occupant,privacy data omitted, was not injured.
The 2004, amateur-built, experimental category airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 code of federal regulations part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the intended local flight.
Review of the on-scene aircraft pictures resulted in the incident being re-classified as an accident based on the extent of damage sustained. Damage to the aircraft included: all 3 landing gear sheared from the airframe, propeller blade sheared, forward fuselage frame tubing sheared and punctured flight compartment floor skin, right wing twist structural damage (spar / ribs) and flight compartment ? Wing structural carry through frame bent. The substantial damage assessment was met with concurrence of the NTSB iic. Pictures of the aircraft at the accident scene depict both the left and right wing selector valves in the closed position, while the collector tank main fuel selector valve was in the open position. Aircraft pictures illustrate blue fuel staining from the wing fuel caps where the aircraft came to rest in a ditch in a near vertical orientation.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 10, 2014, AT APPROXIMATELY 1130 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A RIDGE RUNNER III AIRCRAFT, N39ZT, SERIAL NUMBER 02030388, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A FORCED LANDING, FOLLOWING A REPORTED ENGINE FAILURE. LOSS OF ENGINE POWER WAS EXPERIENCED DURING TAKE-OFF CLIMB PHASE OF FLIGHT AT AN ALTITUDE OF 200 FEET. THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS IN A FIELD LOCATED APPROXIMATELY .5 MILES FROM THE END OF RUNWAY 26L AT ANDREWS MURPHY AIRPORT (KRHP), IN ANDREWS, NORTH CAROLINA. THE SOLE OCCUPANT,^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, WAS NOT INJURED.
THE 2004, AMATEUR-BUILT, EXPERIMENTAL CATEGORY AIRPLANE WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 AS A PERSONAL FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE INTENDED LOCAL FLIGHT.
REVIEW OF THE ON-SCENE AIRCRAFT PICTURES RESULTED IN THE INCIDENT BEING RE-CLASSIFIED AS AN ACCIDENT BASED ON THE EXTENT OF DAMAGE SUSTAINED. DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT INCLUDED: ALL 3 LANDING GEAR SHEARED FROM THE AIRFRAME, PROPELLER BLADE SHEARED, FORWARD FUSELAGE FRAME TUBING SHEARED AND PUNCTURED FLIGHT COMPARTMENT FLOOR SKIN, RIGHT WING TWIST STRUCTURAL DAMAGE (SPAR / RIBS) AND FLIGHT COMPARTMENT ? WING STRUCTURAL CARRY THROUGH FRAME BENT. THE SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE ASSESSMENT WAS MET WITH CONCURRENCE OF THE NTSB IIC. PICTURES OF THE AIRCRAFT AT THE ACCIDENT SCENE DEPICT BOTH THE LEFT AND RIGHT WING SELECTOR VALVES IN THE CLOSED POSITION, WHILE THE COLLECTOR TANK MAIN FUEL SELECTOR VALVE WAS IN THE OPEN POSITION. AIRCRAFT PICTURES ILLUSTRATE BLUE FUEL STAINING FROM THE WING FUEL CAPS WHERE THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST IN A DITCH IN A NEAR VERTICAL ORIENTATION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.