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20190721013549I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Sherman Albert SHERMAN · Independence, OR · July 21, 2019

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
July 21, 2019 · 16:00 local
Place
Independence, OR
Phase of flight
Descent
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N7970S
Reported as
Sherman Albert Sherman
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
800 total80 in this make and model48 in the last 90 days
N7970SRegistered now · Sherman Albert SHERMANS/N 1 · Built 2002Airframe modelSherman Albert SHERMANEngine 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.

Pilot took off from lebanon airport practiced landings and takeoffs then flew to Independence airport. About five miles south of the airport pilot stated the engine started losing power with RPM dropping and aircraft slowed to about 90 knots. Pilot selected carb heat and descended following the willamette river to avoid emergency landing in town or grape fields. Pilot stated there was moderate turbulance causing a bouncy ride when the aircraft suddenly fishtailed side to side and the engine recovered power. Pilot landed at Independence airport, shutdown the engine, walked around the aircraft, noticed nothing, got back in aircraft, started engine, took off from Independence and flew back to lebanon airport. When pilot arrived at lebanon airport he we met by local police who informed him that he had flown through a porweline that ran across the willammette river. Police alleged he looked to be under the influence of intoxicants. The pilot could not maintain balance during field sobriety test but passed an alcahol breath test. Pilot requested a blood test which was taken at local hospital. No results from blood test yet.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT TOOK OFF FROM LEBANON AIRPORT PRACTICED LANDINGS AND TAKEOFFS THEN FLEW TO INDEPENDENCE AIRPORT. ABOUT FIVE MILES SOUTH OF THE AIRPORT PILOT STATED THE ENGINE STARTED LOSING POWER WITH RPM DROPPING AND AIRCRAFT SLOWED TO ABOUT 90 KNOTS. PILOT SELECTED CARB HEAT AND DESCENDED FOLLOWING THE WILLAMETTE RIVER TO AVOID EMERGENCY LANDING IN TOWN OR GRAPE FIELDS. PILOT STATED THERE WAS MODERATE TURBULANCE CAUSING A BOUNCY RIDE WHEN THE AIRCRAFT SUDDENLY FISHTAILED SIDE TO SIDE AND THE ENGINE RECOVERED POWER. PILOT LANDED AT INDEPENDENCE AIRPORT, SHUTDOWN THE ENGINE, WALKED AROUND THE AIRCRAFT, NOTICED NOTHING, GOT BACK IN AIRCRAFT, STARTED ENGINE, TOOK OFF FROM INDEPENDENCE AND FLEW BACK TO LEBANON AIRPORT. WHEN PILOT ARRIVED AT LEBANON AIRPORT HE WE MET BY LOCAL POLICE WHO INFORMED HIM THAT HE HAD FLOWN THROUGH A PORWELINE THAT RAN ACROSS THE WILLAMMETTE RIVER. POLICE ALLEGED HE LOOKED TO BE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF INTOXICANTS. THE PILOT COULD NOT MAINTAIN BALANCE DURING FIELD SOBRIETY TEST BUT PASSED AN ALCAHOL BREATH TEST. PILOT REQUESTED A BLOOD TEST WHICH WAS TAKEN AT LOCAL HOSPITAL. NO RESULTS FROM BLOOD TEST YET.