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20160911017769I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Beckley Don A SONEX · Salome, AZ · September 11, 2016

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
September 11, 2016 · 08:25 local
Place
Salome, AZ
Airport
Indian Hills Airpark
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N7659B
Reported as
Beckley Don A Sonex
Reported engine
JABIRU 3300
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
588 total296 in this make and model6 in the last 90 days
N7659BRegistration cancelled Mar 29, 2018 · Beckley Don A SONEXS/N 0381 · Built 2009Airframe modelBeckley Don A SONEXEngine modelJabiru 33004 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.

On 09/11/2016 Sonex experimental aircraft N7659B, after departing the Indian Hills Airpark (2AZ1) near Salome Arizona, experienced a lack of power to sustain flight. The pilot attempted to maneuver back to the airpark to land but realized he would not be able to do so. The pilot then selected an area 1,000 ft. north and 500 ft. west of the airpark, with no structures or obstructions and crash landed in that area. The incident resulted in significant damage to the aircraft to include damage to all three landing gear and supporting structure, minor dents in the right wing, damage to the engine cowling and both propeller blades were sheared off. The pilot received only minor injuries. During an interview with the pilot he indicated that the aircraft had flown well for 30 minutes prior to the incident. He stated that after take-off the engine was still running but would not respond to throttle advancement. Inspection of the throttle and mixture linkages and operation was all normal. It is believed that the carburetor experienced an internal failure. At this time there is no evidence to confirm or dispel this belief.

As the FAA filed it

ON 09/11/2016 SONEX EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT N7659B, AFTER DEPARTING THE INDIAN HILLS AIRPARK (2AZ1) NEAR SALOME ARIZONA, EXPERIENCED A LACK OF POWER TO SUSTAIN FLIGHT. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO MANEUVER BACK TO THE AIRPARK TO LAND BUT REALIZED HE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DO SO. THE PILOT THEN SELECTED AN AREA 1,000 FT. NORTH AND 500 FT. WEST OF THE AIRPARK, WITH NO STRUCTURES OR OBSTRUCTIONS AND CRASH LANDED IN THAT AREA. THE INCIDENT RESULTED IN SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT TO INCLUDE DAMAGE TO ALL THREE LANDING GEAR AND SUPPORTING STRUCTURE, MINOR DENTS IN THE RIGHT WING, DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE COWLING AND BOTH PROPELLER BLADES WERE SHEARED OFF. THE PILOT RECEIVED ONLY MINOR INJURIES. DURING AN INTERVIEW WITH THE PILOT HE INDICATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD FLOWN WELL FOR 30 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. HE STATED THAT AFTER TAKE-OFF THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING BUT WOULD NOT RESPOND TO THROTTLE ADVANCEMENT. INSPECTION OF THE THROTTLE AND MIXTURE LINKAGES AND OPERATION WAS ALL NORMAL. IT IS BELIEVED THAT THE CARBURETOR EXPERIENCED AN INTERNAL FAILURE. AT THIS TIME THERE IS NO EVIDENCE TO CONFIRM OR DISPEL THIS BELIEF.