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20190424015519I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Varga 2150A · Ludlow, VT · April 24, 2019

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
April 24, 2019 · 20:09 local
Place
Ludlow, VT
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N4646V
Reported as
Varga 2150A
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
N4646VRegistered now · Varga 2150AS/N VAC-100-78 · Built 1978Airframe modelVarga 2150AEngine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

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 April 24, 2019 the pilot of a Varga aircraft 2150A, N4646V, s/n VAC-100-79 was flying from knox county airport, Maine (krkd) to glens falls, new york (kgfl). The pilot stated he was flying westbound over Vermont when he experienced aircraft loss of power and was unable to maintain altitude. Piolt stated he tried but was unable to restore engine power, and declared an emergency on 121.5 and squawked 7700. Pilot said there was another aircraft in the area and believes during his radio transmission the aircraft was relaying his information as well. Pilot was unable to distinguish ground terrain until below tree level and landed in a field behind a residence. Christopher yanni, an operations inspector at the portland Maine flight standards office (FSDO), arrive on scene April 26, 2019 and inspected the aircraft. Damage was found to be minor though the aircraft's nose wheel and propeller blades were impaired due to an abrupt stop on wet ground. Multiple pictures were taken including the fuel tanks with the fuel cap removed. The tanks appeared to be devoid of fuel. The mechanic who had removed the aircraft wings in order to transport it to his facility in middlebury, Vermont stated that it was customary to check the aircraft's fuel tanks for fuel. He reported no sign of fuel in the tanks or on the ground. The aircraft was taken to j&m aviation corporation 467 airport road middlebury Vermont, who replaced the engine propeller and successfully started the engine on 05/22/2019.

As the FAA filed it

ON APRIL 24, 2019 THE PILOT OF A VARGA AIRCRAFT 2150A, N4646V, S/N VAC-100-79 WAS FLYING FROM KNOX COUNTY AIRPORT, MAINE (KRKD) TO GLENS FALLS, NEW YORK (KGFL). THE PILOT STATED HE WAS FLYING WESTBOUND OVER VERMONT WHEN HE EXPERIENCED AIRCRAFT LOSS OF POWER AND WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE. PIOLT STATED HE TRIED BUT WAS UNABLE TO RESTORE ENGINE POWER, AND DECLARED AN EMERGENCY ON 121.5 AND SQUAWKED 7700. PILOT SAID THERE WAS ANOTHER AIRCRAFT IN THE AREA AND BELIEVES DURING HIS RADIO TRANSMISSION THE AIRCRAFT WAS RELAYING HIS INFORMATION AS WELL. PILOT WAS UNABLE TO DISTINGUISH GROUND TERRAIN UNTIL BELOW TREE LEVEL AND LANDED IN A FIELD BEHIND A RESIDENCE. CHRISTOPHER YANNI, AN OPERATIONS INSPECTOR AT THE PORTLAND MAINE FLIGHT STANDARDS OFFICE (FSDO), ARRIVE ON SCENE APRIL 26, 2019 AND INSPECTED THE AIRCRAFT. DAMAGE WAS FOUND TO BE MINOR THOUGH THE AIRCRAFT'S NOSE WHEEL AND PROPELLER BLADES WERE IMPAIRED DUE TO AN ABRUPT STOP ON WET GROUND. MULTIPLE PICTURES WERE TAKEN INCLUDING THE FUEL TANKS WITH THE FUEL CAP REMOVED. THE TANKS APPEARED TO BE DEVOID OF FUEL. THE MECHANIC WHO HAD REMOVED THE AIRCRAFT WINGS IN ORDER TO TRANSPORT IT TO HIS FACILITY IN MIDDLEBURY, VERMONT STATED THAT IT WAS CUSTOMARY TO CHECK THE AIRCRAFT'S FUEL TANKS FOR FUEL. HE REPORTED NO SIGN OF FUEL IN THE TANKS OR ON THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT WAS TAKEN TO J&M AVIATION CORPORATION 467 AIRPORT ROAD MIDDLEBURY VERMONT, WHO REPLACED THE ENGINE PROPELLER AND SUCCESSFULLY STARTED THE ENGINE ON 05/22/2019.