What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On August 3, 2014, at approximately 2000HR. Eastern daylight time, a Rans S-12XL, N51120, landed off airport due to a loss of engine power. The engine, a jabiru 2200A, had 8 hours of operation since overhaul and sustained damage to the upper case during the event. The propeller sustained multiple cracks due to the reported sudden stoppage. The airframe sustained no damage during the event.
The sport pilot occupant was not injured and there were no passengers onboard. The airplane was registered to the pilot and was being operated 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 or required.
The pilot stated that he had departed from a private grass strip at his residence and had flown in the local area for about 15 minutes when the engine began to run rough. He adjusted the throttle to an idle setting and picked out a harvested wheat field to put the aircraft down, knowing that he could not reach his home strip. He made a normal pattern for the selected field to land to the south. The engine seized at approximately 400? AGL and the pilot continued and landed. The aircraft stopped near the middle of the field, about 700 feet from the approach end fence line. The wheat stubble indentions indicate a ground roll-out of about 400 feet.
As the FAA filed it
ON AUGUST 3, 2014, AT APPROXIMATELY 2000HR. EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A RANS S-12XL, N51120, LANDED OFF AIRPORT DUE TO A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE ENGINE, A JABIRU 2200A, HAD 8 HOURS OF OPERATION SINCE OVERHAUL AND SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE UPPER CASE DURING THE EVENT. THE PROPELLER SUSTAINED MULTIPLE CRACKS DUE TO THE REPORTED SUDDEN STOPPAGE. THE AIRFRAME SUSTAINED NO DAMAGE DURING THE EVENT.
THE SPORT PILOT OCCUPANT WAS NOT INJURED AND THERE WERE NO PASSENGERS ONBOARD. THE AIRPLANE WAS REGISTERED TO THE PILOT AND WAS BEING OPERATED 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 OR REQUIRED.
THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD DEPARTED FROM A PRIVATE GRASS STRIP AT HIS RESIDENCE AND HAD FLOWN IN THE LOCAL AREA FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES WHEN THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH. HE ADJUSTED THE THROTTLE TO AN IDLE SETTING AND PICKED OUT A HARVESTED WHEAT FIELD TO PUT THE AIRCRAFT DOWN, KNOWING THAT HE COULD NOT REACH HIS HOME STRIP. HE MADE A NORMAL PATTERN FOR THE SELECTED FIELD TO LAND TO THE SOUTH. THE ENGINE SEIZED AT APPROXIMATELY 400? AGL AND THE PILOT CONTINUED AND LANDED. THE AIRCRAFT STOPPED NEAR THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD, ABOUT 700 FEET FROM THE APPROACH END FENCE LINE. THE WHEAT STUBBLE INDENTIONS INDICATE A GROUND ROLL-OUT OF ABOUT 400 FEET.
Other reports on N51120 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.