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20171105018279A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Riggs Kenneth W T-BIRD II · St. Marys, KS · November 5, 2017

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
November 5, 2017 · 11:50 local
Place
St. Marys, KS
Airport
Jmj Landing Airport
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N618ER
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN18LA027
Reported as
Riggs Kenneth W T-BIRD II
Reported engine
ROTAX 618
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
2
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
2,054 total3 in this make and model5 in the last 90 days
N618ERRegistration cancelled Dec 19, 2018 · Riggs Kenneth W T-BIRD IIS/N 90062000Airframe modelRiggs Kenneth W T-BIRD II

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 November 5, 2017, N618ER departed from a private grass airfield in St. Marys, Kansas on a part 91 flight in the local area. According to the pilot and witnesses, the airplane obtained an altitude of approximately 600 feet when the engine lost power and had a self-shutdown. The pilot made an immediate turn back to the airfield. The pilot reported losing elevator authority and was not able to fully arrest the descent. The pilot was unable to make the runway before making a hard Landing which resulted in substantial damage to the airplane and serious injury to the occupants. Witnesses stated that they saw a propeller blade and stocking cap depart the airplane at the same time. The stocking cap was recovered and it had strike marks and appeared to have been ingested by the propeller which resulted in catastrophic failure of the propeller.

Ammendment follows:

On January 12, 2018, the wichita FSDO received the police report filed by the officers that responded to this accident. The above narritive does not change. All information received was supplemental.

As the FAA filed it

ON NOVEMBER 5, 2017, N618ER DEPARTED FROM A PRIVATE GRASS AIRFIELD IN ST. MARYS, KANSAS ON A PART 91 FLIGHT IN THE LOCAL AREA. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT AND WITNESSES, THE AIRPLANE OBTAINED AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 600 FEET WHEN THE ENGINE LOST POWER AND HAD A SELF-SHUTDOWN. THE PILOT MADE AN IMMEDIATE TURN BACK TO THE AIRFIELD. THE PILOT REPORTED LOSING ELEVATOR AUTHORITY AND WAS NOT ABLE TO FULLY ARREST THE DESCENT. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO MAKE THE RUNWAY BEFORE MAKING A HARD LANDING WHICH RESULTED IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRPLANE AND SERIOUS INJURY TO THE OCCUPANTS. WITNESSES STATED THAT THEY SAW A PROPELLER BLADE AND STOCKING CAP DEPART THE AIRPLANE AT THE SAME TIME. THE STOCKING CAP WAS RECOVERED AND IT HAD STRIKE MARKS AND APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN INGESTED BY THE PROPELLER WHICH RESULTED IN CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE PROPELLER.

AMMENDMENT FOLLOWS:

ON JANUARY 12, 2018, THE WICHITA FSDO RECEIVED THE POLICE REPORT FILED BY THE OFFICERS THAT RESPONDED TO THIS ACCIDENT. THE ABOVE NARRITIVE DOES NOT CHANGE. ALL INFORMATION RECEIVED WAS SUPPLEMENTAL.

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 CEN18LA027Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportSt Mary's, KSThe loss of engine power due to a propeller failure when the passenger’s hat exited the cockpit and impacted the three-bladed pusher propeller, separating one of the propeller blades.Nov 5, 2017 · Substantial damage