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20170702009789A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Superstol JA30 · Ponca City, OK · July 2, 2017

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 2, 2017 · 14:30 local
Place
Ponca City, OK
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N2463H
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN17LA251
Reported as
Superstol JA30
Reported engine
ROTAX 914
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
877 total46 in this make and model121 in the last 90 days

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 July 2, 2017 at approximately 1430 CST, a JA30 Superstol, aircraft registration number N2463H, experienced loss of engine power during takeoff climout while departing a private grass airstrip located approximately 10 miles northeast of Ponca City, Oklahoma. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The pilot reported the engine felt sluggish during climbout and the aircraft started losing lift. Realizing the aircraft was not going to clear the treeline at the end of the grass strip, the pilot pitched the nose up slightly and the aircraft came to rest in the trees at the end of the grass strip. The aircraft sustained substantial damage but the pilot and passenger were not injured. A friend of the pilot took a video of the aircraft during takeoff and the audio appears to indicate a noticeable change in engine pitch during climbout. The post crash external visual inspection of the engine did not reveal any obvious defects with the engine and there was no post crash fire.

As the FAA filed it

ON JULY 2, 2017 AT APPROXIMATELY 1430 CST, A JA30 SUPERSTOL, AIRCRAFT REGISTRATION NUMBER N2463H, EXPERIENCED LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DURING TAKEOFF CLIMOUT WHILE DEPARTING A PRIVATE GRASS AIRSTRIP LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES NORTHEAST OF PONCA CITY, OKLAHOMA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT REPORTED THE ENGINE FELT SLUGGISH DURING CLIMBOUT AND THE AIRCRAFT STARTED LOSING LIFT. REALIZING THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT GOING TO CLEAR THE TREELINE AT THE END OF THE GRASS STRIP, THE PILOT PITCHED THE NOSE UP SLIGHTLY AND THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST IN THE TREES AT THE END OF THE GRASS STRIP. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE BUT THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. A FRIEND OF THE PILOT TOOK A VIDEO OF THE AIRCRAFT DURING TAKEOFF AND THE AUDIO APPEARS TO INDICATE A NOTICEABLE CHANGE IN ENGINE PITCH DURING CLIMBOUT. THE POST CRASH EXTERNAL VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE DID NOT REVEAL ANY OBVIOUS DEFECTS WITH THE ENGINE AND THERE WAS NO POST CRASH FIRE.

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 CEN17LA251Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportPonca City, OKContamination of the fuel system, resulting in a partial loss of engine power and subsequent off-airport landing.Jul 2, 2017 · Substantial damage