20151104022729A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Grooms Walter SPARROWHAWK · Florence Townsh, OH · November 4, 2015

Date: November 4, 2015 · 14:02 local
Place: Florence Townsh, OH
Airport: Wakeman
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N80825
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN16LA031
Reported as: Grooms Walter Sparrowhawk
Reported engine: SUBARU ALL MDLS A/B
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 1
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 308 total66 in this make and model20 in the last 90 days

N80825Registration cancelled May 12, 2016 · Grooms Walter SPARROWHAWKS/N 001 · Built 2006 Airframe modelGrooms Walter SPARROWHAWK Engine modelSubaru ALL MDLS A/B4 cycle

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.

Aircraft took off and the engine was not putting out enough power to enable the aircraft to gain altitude to clear the trees. The pilot decided to put the aircraft down in the field and avoid the trees. The maneuvering combined with insufficient power caused a sink rate to develop resulting in a hard landing. The ground impact caused the aircraft frame to collapse allowing the rotor and propeller to strike the ground. Aircraft was destroyed.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT TOOK OFF AND THE ENGINE WAS NOT PUTTING OUT ENOUGH POWER TO ENABLE THE AIRCRAFT TO GAIN ALTITUDE TO CLEAR THE TREES. THE PILOT DECIDED TO PUT THE AIRCRAFT DOWN IN THE FIELD AND AVOID THE TREES. THE MANEUVERING COMBINED WITH INSUFFICIENT POWER CAUSED A SINK RATE TO DEVELOP RESULTING IN A HARD LANDING. THE GROUND IMPACT CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT FRAME TO COLLAPSE ALLOWING THE ROTOR AND PROPELLER TO STRIKE THE GROUND. AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CEN16LA031Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportWakeman, OHA loss of engine power/performance for reasons that could not be determined because a postaccident examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.Nov 4, 2015 · Substantial damage