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20200530007259I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Barry E Fitch Zenith 601 HDS · Saluda, SC · May 30, 2020

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
May 30, 2020 · 11:00 local
Place
Saluda, SC
Airport
Saluda County
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N195BW
Reported as
Barry E Fitch Zenith 601 HDS
Reported engine
SUBARU ALL MDLS A/B
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
327 total65 in this make and model23 in the last 90 days

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.

Greenwood, SC: N195BW, exp, landed in a rural area due to control-ability issues. Aircraft sustained a prop strike, and damage to both wings. POB: 1, injuries: none, damage: extent unknown. 05/30/2020 1500Z

Pilot statement: on Saturday, may 30, I departed kaik at approximately 10:45 am towards 6J4 for an expected 10 minute flight. After about 2 or 3 minutes, I noticed the plane trying to bank to the right. It was only a nuisance at first and I thought it was just a strong wind, but it got progressively worse by the minute, until I had difficulty holding the plane upright. Finally, it got so bad that I decided that I had to put it down while I still had some control. I was approximately 2 miles south of 6J4 I spotted a nice looking pasture and was committed to landing there until I spotted power lines in the way. Just to my right I noticed a wide logging road and diverted to there. I managed to put it down successfully, I thought, until my right wing caught something that pulled me off the road into the freshly logged area where the plane slid over large stumps.

I was unharmed.

My theory, of which I am pretty certain, is that all the fuel in the wing tanks siphoned over to the right side tank. At the time, I judged that the plane would soon be no longer flyable.

I think I figured out the control problem while still in the air. Unfortunately, by the time I did, it was too late.

The aircraft has electronic fuel injection which requires a return system. I used an electronic valve to direct the fuel to the proper tank. While I cannot prove it, I think that valve failed and shunted the fuel to the right wing tank instead of the left. There is evidence for this by the fact that I had approximately 7 gallons of fuel in the left tank when I left aiken. After only an 8 or 9 minute flight, when I checked at the landing site, there was no visible fuel in the left tank and the right was full. The plane burns 5 gallons per hour. Please note that we drained the fuel in order to retrieve the plane safely .

It is my understanding that the aircraft should have still been flyable under these conditions, but I can assure you it wasn?t.

As the FAA filed it

GREENWOOD, SC: N195BW, EXP, LANDED IN A RURAL AREA DUE TO CONTROL-ABILITY ISSUES. AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED A PROP STRIKE, AND DAMAGE TO BOTH WINGS. POB: 1, INJURIES: NONE, DAMAGE: EXTENT UNKNOWN. 05/30/2020 1500Z

PILOT STATEMENT: ON SATURDAY, MAY 30, I DEPARTED KAIK AT APPROXIMATELY 10:45 AM TOWARDS 6J4 FOR AN EXPECTED 10 MINUTE FLIGHT. AFTER ABOUT 2 OR 3 MINUTES, I NOTICED THE PLANE TRYING TO BANK TO THE RIGHT. IT WAS ONLY A NUISANCE AT FIRST AND I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST A STRONG WIND, BUT IT GOT PROGRESSIVELY WORSE BY THE MINUTE, UNTIL I HAD DIFFICULTY HOLDING THE PLANE UPRIGHT. FINALLY, IT GOT SO BAD THAT I DECIDED THAT I HAD TO PUT IT DOWN WHILE I STILL HAD SOME CONTROL. I WAS APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES SOUTH OF 6J4 I SPOTTED A NICE LOOKING PASTURE AND WAS COMMITTED TO LANDING THERE UNTIL I SPOTTED POWER LINES IN THE WAY. JUST TO MY RIGHT I NOTICED A WIDE LOGGING ROAD AND DIVERTED TO THERE. I MANAGED TO PUT IT DOWN SUCCESSFULLY, I THOUGHT, UNTIL MY RIGHT WING CAUGHT SOMETHING THAT PULLED ME OFF THE ROAD INTO THE FRESHLY LOGGED AREA WHERE THE PLANE SLID OVER LARGE STUMPS.

I WAS UNHARMED.

MY THEORY, OF WHICH I AM PRETTY CERTAIN, IS THAT ALL THE FUEL IN THE WING TANKS SIPHONED OVER TO THE RIGHT SIDE TANK. AT THE TIME, I JUDGED THAT THE PLANE WOULD SOON BE NO LONGER FLYABLE.

I THINK I FIGURED OUT THE CONTROL PROBLEM WHILE STILL IN THE AIR. UNFORTUNATELY, BY THE TIME I DID, IT WAS TOO LATE.

THE AIRCRAFT HAS ELECTRONIC FUEL INJECTION WHICH REQUIRES A RETURN SYSTEM. I USED AN ELECTRONIC VALVE TO DIRECT THE FUEL TO THE PROPER TANK. WHILE I CANNOT PROVE IT, I THINK THAT VALVE FAILED AND SHUNTED THE FUEL TO THE RIGHT WING TANK INSTEAD OF THE LEFT. THERE IS EVIDENCE FOR THIS BY THE FACT THAT I HAD APPROXIMATELY 7 GALLONS OF FUEL IN THE LEFT TANK WHEN I LEFT AIKEN. AFTER ONLY AN 8 OR 9 MINUTE FLIGHT, WHEN I CHECKED AT THE LANDING SITE, THERE WAS NO VISIBLE FUEL IN THE LEFT TANK AND THE RIGHT WAS FULL. THE PLANE BURNS 5 GALLONS PER HOUR. PLEASE NOTE THAT WE DRAINED THE FUEL IN ORDER TO RETRIEVE THE PLANE SAFELY .

IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE AIRCRAFT SHOULD HAVE STILL BEEN FLYABLE UNDER THESE CONDITIONS, BUT I CAN ASSURE YOU IT WASN?T.