20201116014869A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · American Legend AL3 · Greenville, NC · November 16, 2020

Date: November 16, 2020 · 15:15 local
Place: Greenville, NC
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N30BX
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA21LA047
Reported as: American Legend AL3
Reported engine: Continental O-200
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 1
Pilot’s certificates: Flight instructor, private pilot, sport pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 3,717 total894 in this make and model137 in the last 90 days

N30BXRegistered now · American Legend AL3S/N AL-1095 Airframe modelAmerican Legend AL3 Engine modelContinental O-200 series4 cycle

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.

While in straight and level cruise flight, the aircraft hit a bird (believed to be a turkey vulture) the bird impacted the wooden prop which shattered/splintered one of the propeller blades. The engine/aircraft started to shake violently and the CFI onboard took control of the aircraft, turned off the mag switch and attempted to land the aircraft in a bean field. While on the rollout the front seat occupant applied the brakes and the aircraft flipped over nose first.

As the FAA filed it

WHILE IN STRAIGHT AND LEVEL CRUISE FLIGHT, THE AIRCRAFT HIT A BIRD (BELIEVED TO BE A TURKEY VULTURE) THE BIRD IMPACTED THE WOODEN PROP WHICH SHATTERED/SPLINTERED ONE OF THE PROPELLER BLADES. THE ENGINE/AIRCRAFT STARTED TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY AND THE CFI ONBOARD TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT, TURNED OFF THE MAG SWITCH AND ATTEMPTED TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT IN A BEAN FIELD. WHILE ON THE ROLLOUT THE FRONT SEAT OCCUPANT APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED OVER NOSE FIRST.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ERA21LA047Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportGreenville, NCThe airplane’s collision with a bird during initial climb, which resulted in a forced landing.Nov 16, 2020 · Substantial damage