20200921020299A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Aircraft · Marengo, IN · September 21, 2020

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal NTSB investigation search

Date: September 21, 2020 · 14:30 local
Place: Marengo, IN
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: Ultralight vehicle (Part 103)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: NONE
Reported engine: ROTAX 580
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 1
Pilot’s flight hours: 600 total

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.

According to pilots statement: on the first flight the aircraft landed due to a lower power issue similar to carb icing. The pilot made some minor adjustments and an inspection of the engine and then took off for his return flight home. The aircraft suffered from low power again within a minute of taking off and while he returned to make an emergency landing he became disoriented and landed 90 degrees to the commonly used landing area on the private grass strip. The left wing impacted a tree 30 feet above the ground and spun 90 degrees, stalled, and landed in a nosedown, vertical position.

As the FAA filed it

ACCORDING TO PILOTS STATEMENT: ON THE FIRST FLIGHT THE AIRCRAFT LANDED DUE TO A LOWER POWER ISSUE SIMILAR TO CARB ICING. THE PILOT MADE SOME MINOR ADJUSTMENTS AND AN INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE AND THEN TOOK OFF FOR HIS RETURN FLIGHT HOME. THE AIRCRAFT SUFFERED FROM LOW POWER AGAIN WITHIN A MINUTE OF TAKING OFF AND WHILE HE RETURNED TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING HE BECAME DISORIENTED AND LANDED 90 DEGREES TO THE COMMONLY USED LANDING AREA ON THE PRIVATE GRASS STRIP. THE LEFT WING IMPACTED A TREE 30 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND AND SPUN 90 DEGREES, STALLED, AND LANDED IN A NOSEDOWN, VERTICAL POSITION.