20170723023609I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Six Chuter SR2 · Swanzey, NH · July 23, 2017

Date: July 23, 2017 · 19:30 local
Place: Swanzey, NH
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N4158P
Reported as: Six Chuter SR2
Reported engine: ROTAX 503ULDCDI
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Sport pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 59 total37 in this make and model7 in the last 90 days

N4158PRegistered now · Six Chuter SR2S/N DMW-01 Airframe modelSix Chuter SR2 Engine modelRotax 503ULDCDI2 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 taking off from a grass field, while climbing out and approaching trees at the field's edge, the aircraft engine failed. The pilot began to turn left and assessed his landing options. The pilot opted to set the aircraft down on a tree top rather than continueing the turn which may have resulted in the aircraft rolling over upon impacting the ground due to the momentum of the turn and the resulting angle at impact. The tree top set down was successful and as the aircraft's parachute passed over, it pulled the aircraft from the tree top, the aircraft descended to the ground and landed forcefully on all wheels in a swampy location in approximately one foot of water. The impact with the ground resulted in minor aircraft damage and no injuries. The pilot noted during his post incident inspection that 3 gallons of fuel remained in the aircraft's fuel tank, but the fuel selector was in the off position. The aircraft engine had failed due to fuel starvation.

As the FAA filed it

AFTER TAKING OFF FROM A GRASS FIELD, WHILE CLIMBING OUT AND APPROACHING TREES AT THE FIELD'S EDGE, THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE FAILED. THE PILOT BEGAN TO TURN LEFT AND ASSESSED HIS LANDING OPTIONS. THE PILOT OPTED TO SET THE AIRCRAFT DOWN ON A TREE TOP RATHER THAN CONTINUEING THE TURN WHICH MAY HAVE RESULTED IN THE AIRCRAFT ROLLING OVER UPON IMPACTING THE GROUND DUE TO THE MOMENTUM OF THE TURN AND THE RESULTING ANGLE AT IMPACT. THE TREE TOP SET DOWN WAS SUCCESSFUL AND AS THE AIRCRAFT'S PARACHUTE PASSED OVER, IT PULLED THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE TREE TOP, THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED TO THE GROUND AND LANDED FORCEFULLY ON ALL WHEELS IN A SWAMPY LOCATION IN APPROXIMATELY ONE FOOT OF WATER. THE IMPACT WITH THE GROUND RESULTED IN MINOR AIRCRAFT DAMAGE AND NO INJURIES. THE PILOT NOTED DURING HIS POST INCIDENT INSPECTION THAT 3 GALLONS OF FUEL REMAINED IN THE AIRCRAFT'S FUEL TANK, BUT THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS IN THE OFF POSITION. THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE HAD FAILED DUE TO FUEL STARVATION.