20160305002199A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Taylorcraft BL-65 · St. Petersburg, FL · March 5, 2016

Date: March 5, 2016 · 13:45 local
Place: St. Petersburg, FL
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N22661
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA16LA123
Reported as: Taylorcraft BL-65
Reported engine: Lycoming 0-145B series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 182 total71 in this make and model18 in the last 90 days

N22661Registered now · Taylorcraft BL-65S/N 1308 · Built 1939 Airframe modelTaylorcraft BL-65 Engine modelLycoming 0-145B seriesReciprocating

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.

After approximately one hour of flying down the coast from cgc airport pilot began to cross over toward the skyway bridge at 800 ft MSL to track straight to 48X airport. After a few moments of tracking straight to 48X the engine started to run rough. Pilot called albert whitted airport tower, told them about the engine situation and started programming his GPS to spg airport which was 5 miles away. Moments later the pilot reported the engine lost about 50 % of the power. At that point the pilot realized that he was not going to make it to spg airport. Pilot decided to make an emergency landing at a nearby field. Aircraft landed on a golf course; however, to avoid rolling into a pond the pilot maneuvered the aircraft to the left which caused the left wing to make contact with a tree, ground-looping the aircraft 180 degrees to a full stop. No injuries to pilot or the passenger.

As the FAA filed it

AFTER APPROXIMATELY ONE HOUR OF FLYING DOWN THE COAST FROM CGC AIRPORT PILOT BEGAN TO CROSS OVER TOWARD THE SKYWAY BRIDGE AT 800 FT MSL TO TRACK STRAIGHT TO 48X AIRPORT. AFTER A FEW MOMENTS OF TRACKING STRAIGHT TO 48X THE ENGINE STARTED TO RUN ROUGH. PILOT CALLED ALBERT WHITTED AIRPORT TOWER, TOLD THEM ABOUT THE ENGINE SITUATION AND STARTED PROGRAMMING HIS GPS TO SPG AIRPORT WHICH WAS 5 MILES AWAY. MOMENTS LATER THE PILOT REPORTED THE ENGINE LOST ABOUT 50 % OF THE POWER. AT THAT POINT THE PILOT REALIZED THAT HE WAS NOT GOING TO MAKE IT TO SPG AIRPORT. PILOT DECIDED TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING AT A NEARBY FIELD. AIRCRAFT LANDED ON A GOLF COURSE; HOWEVER, TO AVOID ROLLING INTO A POND THE PILOT MANEUVERED THE AIRCRAFT TO THE LEFT WHICH CAUSED THE LEFT WING TO MAKE CONTACT WITH A TREE, GROUND-LOOPING THE AIRCRAFT 180 DEGREES TO A FULL STOP. NO INJURIES TO PILOT OR THE PASSENGER.

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 ERA16LA123Accident · No injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportSt. Petersburg, FLA partial loss of engine power due to the fatigue fracture of the No. 3 cylinder head stud.Mar 5, 2016 · Substantial damage