20141110021939I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Helmer Roger LANCAIR 360 · Valparaiso, FL · November 10, 2014

Date: November 10, 2014 · 12:20 local
Place: Valparaiso, FL
Phase of flight: Maneuver
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N424DH
Reported as: Helmer Roger Lancair 360
Reported engine: Amateur-built LYCOMING IO360 EXP
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 600 total500 in this make and model60 in the last 90 days

N424DHRegistered now · Helmer Roger LANCAIR 360S/N 4240530 · Built 2003 Airframe modelHelmer Roger LANCAIR 360 Engine modelAmateur-built UNKNOWN ENG

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.

.5 Hours into the flight, engine throttle control not responding normally. Any reduction in power resulted in a flight idle condition. Pilot left throttle setting at full power and elected to return to vps. Passenger (also a certificated commerical pilot) declared and emergency and announced intention to return to vps. Once pilot thought he was within gliding distance he moved the throttle to flight idle to glide aircraft to the runway. On short final pilot noticed arresting gear in the runway and attempted to stretch the glide beyond the arresting gear which resulted in a hard landing and airplane skidding off of the runway.

As the FAA filed it

.5 HOURS INTO THE FLIGHT, ENGINE THROTTLE CONTROL NOT RESPONDING NORMALLY. ANY REDUCTION IN POWER RESULTED IN A FLIGHT IDLE CONDITION. PILOT LEFT THROTTLE SETTING AT FULL POWER AND ELECTED TO RETURN TO VPS. PASSENGER (ALSO A CERTIFICATED COMMERICAL PILOT) DECLARED AND EMERGENCY AND ANNOUNCED INTENTION TO RETURN TO VPS. ONCE PILOT THOUGHT HE WAS WITHIN GLIDING DISTANCE HE MOVED THE THROTTLE TO FLIGHT IDLE TO GLIDE AIRCRAFT TO THE RUNWAY. ON SHORT FINAL PILOT NOTICED ARRESTING GEAR IN THE RUNWAY AND ATTEMPTED TO STRETCH THE GLIDE BEYOND THE ARRESTING GEAR WHICH RESULTED IN A HARD LANDING AND AIRPLANE SKIDDING OFF OF THE RUNWAY.