20190812014109I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Jacob L Avansino LANCAIR 320 · Reno, NV · August 12, 2019

Date
August 12, 2019 · 10:37 local
Place
Reno, NV
Airport
Reno-Tahoe-Stead
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N162JL
Reported as
Jacob L Avansino Lancair 320
Reported engine
Lycoming IO-360-
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0

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.

The pilot had been having engine fuel vapor lock problems and had conducted several successful flights subsequent to fuel system maintenance. On the day of the accident, it was necessary for the pilot to conduct a lengthy taxi operations to the active runway. Shortly after a normal takeoff, at about 80 feet AGL, the engine began to stumble. The pilot immediately switched the fuel boost pump on and adjusted the mixture. The pilot said that the engine was still running but did not produce sufficient power to climb or maintain level flight. The pilot elected to land on the remaining runway with the landing gear retracted due to a significant drop-off at the departure end.

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT HAD BEEN HAVING ENGINE FUEL VAPOR LOCK PROBLEMS AND HAD CONDUCTED SEVERAL SUCCESSFUL FLIGHTS SUBSEQUENT TO FUEL SYSTEM MAINTENANCE. ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT, IT WAS NECESSARY FOR THE PILOT TO CONDUCT A LENGTHY TAXI OPERATIONS TO THE ACTIVE RUNWAY. SHORTLY AFTER A NORMAL TAKEOFF, AT ABOUT 80 FEET AGL, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO STUMBLE. THE PILOT IMMEDIATELY SWITCHED THE FUEL BOOST PUMP ON AND ADJUSTED THE MIXTURE. THE PILOT SAID THAT THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING BUT DID NOT PRODUCE SUFFICIENT POWER TO CLIMB OR MAINTAIN LEVEL FLIGHT. THE PILOT ELECTED TO LAND ON THE REMAINING RUNWAY WITH THE LANDING GEAR RETRACTED DUE TO A SIGNIFICANT DROP-OFF AT THE DEPARTURE END.