OpenAirDocs.org

20160407003059I

Incident · Minor damage
Open the Markdown

FAA incident report · Champion 7ECA · Mt. Hope, AL · April 7, 2016

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

Date
April 7, 2016 · 11:10 local
Place
Mt. Hope, AL
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N6363N
Reported as
Champion 7ECA
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-235 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Airline transport, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
7,095 total10 in the last 90 days
N6363NRegistration cancelled May 31, 2018 · Champion 7ECAS/N 284 · Built 1967Airframe modelChampion 7ECAEngine modelLycoming 0-235 series4 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.

After completion of an uneventful first 45 minute leg of the flight, the pilot stopped for a break and fuel at M22 bill pugh field airport russellville, AL. The pilot made a normal departure and climb to a cruise altitude of 3500FT MSL to the north. Beginning at this point the oil temperature rose to 230° f over the course of 2 minutes while the oil pressure indication remained in the green band. During this same time the engine began to make a loud rattling sound as if about to sling a rod. While continuing to run, noticeable engine performance degradation was observed.

The pilot identified what appeared to be a lengthy green field to his south and 12.75 miles east of M22, in which to conduct a precautionary landing. Upon a touchdown on a 180° heading followed by manual engine shutdown for safety, the wire fence and ditch came into view when cresting a slight rise in terrain. The fence slowed the aircraft?s forward motion and the ditch sheared the right main landing gear from the aircraft. Following a full stop the pilot and passenger exited the aircraft uninjured.

As the FAA filed it

AFTER COMPLETION OF AN UNEVENTFUL FIRST 45 MINUTE LEG OF THE FLIGHT, THE PILOT STOPPED FOR A BREAK AND FUEL AT M22 BILL PUGH FIELD AIRPORT RUSSELLVILLE, AL. THE PILOT MADE A NORMAL DEPARTURE AND CLIMB TO A CRUISE ALTITUDE OF 3500FT MSL TO THE NORTH. BEGINNING AT THIS POINT THE OIL TEMPERATURE ROSE TO 230° F OVER THE COURSE OF 2 MINUTES WHILE THE OIL PRESSURE INDICATION REMAINED IN THE GREEN BAND. DURING THIS SAME TIME THE ENGINE BEGAN TO MAKE A LOUD RATTLING SOUND AS IF ABOUT TO SLING A ROD. WHILE CONTINUING TO RUN, NOTICEABLE ENGINE PERFORMANCE DEGRADATION WAS OBSERVED.

THE PILOT IDENTIFIED WHAT APPEARED TO BE A LENGTHY GREEN FIELD TO HIS SOUTH AND 12.75 MILES EAST OF M22, IN WHICH TO CONDUCT A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING. UPON A TOUCHDOWN ON A 180° HEADING FOLLOWED BY MANUAL ENGINE SHUTDOWN FOR SAFETY, THE WIRE FENCE AND DITCH CAME INTO VIEW WHEN CRESTING A SLIGHT RISE IN TERRAIN. THE FENCE SLOWED THE AIRCRAFT?S FORWARD MOTION AND THE DITCH SHEARED THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR FROM THE AIRCRAFT. FOLLOWING A FULL STOP THE PILOT AND PASSENGER EXITED THE AIRCRAFT UNINJURED.