20160522025159A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Rans S-5 · Acampo, CA · May 22, 2016

Date
May 22, 2016 · 10:30 local
Place
Acampo, CA
Airport
Lodi Airport
Phase of flight
Maneuver
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N481TJ
Reported as
Rans S-5
Reported engine
ROTAX 447
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1

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.

On may 23, 2016, pilot in command (PIC), privacy data omitted around 8:30 am began his preflight inspection of his aircraft. After insuring the aircraft was safe for flight, privacy data omitted taxied his aircraft for takeoff at 9:30 am on runway R26. After takeoff to the north and at approximately 400 feet 6 minutes into the flight he began a right bank. During the maneuver he felt several little bumps and thought they were pockets of air. During this time he heard a boom sound and the engine quit running. In addition, he felt the seat shift to the left while banking. privacy data omitted Made a successful landing without incident in a berm area north of the airport and inspected the aircraft. He inspected his fuel lines and could not find any issues with the fuel or lines. After his examination of the aircraft and ensuring the fuel lines were secured, he started the engine and validated all instruments and engine was operating correctly. PIC privacy data omitted again took off to return to the airport. While flying east to return to the airport (1O3) the seat shifted to the left and the engine quit again. Flying above east wooden road east towards the airport, his decision was to land on e. wooden road, however, a car traveling west was directly in his path and his decision was to bank left to land at the pastures just north of the airport. The aircraft entered a steep accent and struck the ground in the pasture north of e. wooden road. The aircraft impacted the ground at an angle of approximately 50 degrees striking the left tip of the left wing causing the aircraft to spin coming to rest about 50 feet from the impact. Significant damage resulted from the impact.

As the FAA filed it

ON MAY 23, 2016, PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC), ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AROUND 8:30 AM BEGAN HIS PREFLIGHT INSPECTION OF HIS AIRCRAFT. AFTER INSURING THE AIRCRAFT WAS SAFE FOR FLIGHT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TAXIED HIS AIRCRAFT FOR TAKEOFF AT 9:30 AM ON RUNWAY R26. AFTER TAKEOFF TO THE NORTH AND AT APPROXIMATELY 400 FEET 6 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT HE BEGAN A RIGHT BANK. DURING THE MANEUVER HE FELT SEVERAL LITTLE BUMPS AND THOUGHT THEY WERE POCKETS OF AIR. DURING THIS TIME HE HEARD A BOOM SOUND AND THE ENGINE QUIT RUNNING. IN ADDITION, HE FELT THE SEAT SHIFT TO THE LEFT WHILE BANKING. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ MADE A SUCCESSFUL LANDING WITHOUT INCIDENT IN A BERM AREA NORTH OF THE AIRPORT AND INSPECTED THE AIRCRAFT. HE INSPECTED HIS FUEL LINES AND COULD NOT FIND ANY ISSUES WITH THE FUEL OR LINES. AFTER HIS EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT AND ENSURING THE FUEL LINES WERE SECURED, HE STARTED THE ENGINE AND VALIDATED ALL INSTRUMENTS AND ENGINE WAS OPERATING CORRECTLY. PIC ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AGAIN TOOK OFF TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT. WHILE FLYING EAST TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT (1O3) THE SEAT SHIFTED TO THE LEFT AND THE ENGINE QUIT AGAIN. FLYING ABOVE EAST WOODEN ROAD EAST TOWARDS THE AIRPORT, HIS DECISION WAS TO LAND ON E. WOODEN ROAD, HOWEVER, A CAR TRAVELING WEST WAS DIRECTLY IN HIS PATH AND HIS DECISION WAS TO BANK LEFT TO LAND AT THE PASTURES JUST NORTH OF THE AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED A STEEP ACCENT AND STRUCK THE GROUND IN THE PASTURE NORTH OF E. WOODEN ROAD. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND AT AN ANGLE OF APPROXIMATELY 50 DEGREES STRIKING THE LEFT TIP OF THE LEFT WING CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO SPIN COMING TO REST ABOUT 50 FEET FROM THE IMPACT. SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE RESULTED FROM THE IMPACT.