What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot of N236X, an slsa Jabiru sport aircraft on 03/30/2021 departed ft. Pierce (kfpr) on a pleasure flight to the west of the airport and after 10 minutes or so started to experience engine roughness and then smoothed out. The pilot stated he turned to return at 2500 feet and the engine began to run rough again. He contacted the tower and received a straight clearance from 13 miles out. He stated he performed in flight ops checks to include carb heat and mag checks. The carb heat did not help, and remained on while checking the mags, with no significant change however, when cycled to the left the engine stopped therefore, returned back to both. The aircraft was shaking at this point and held his 65 knot landing speed however could not maintain his altitude. He then advised the tower he would not make the airport and made an emergency landing on a dirt road alongside a canal. The tower obtained his position and dispatched responders. The pilot stated as he was lined up with the road and setting it down the right wing cleared some smaller shrubbery/ bramble, that?s when the left wing struck the bramble, swung the plane and propelled the aircraft into the canal. The aircraft sustained substantial damage and deemed destroyed. The left wing was separated from the wing box, and the right wing significant spar damage. The cabin was submerged in water and airframe skin was torn in several places, with significant damage to the flaps. The propeller blades split, the nose cone crushed but remained intact and the engine mounts were snapped. A fuel sample was taken during draining and appeared normal in color, sufficient gas onboard and both selectors were in the on position. Further evaluation will involve running the engine and teardown if required, if running the engine does not show immediate indication or malfunction. The pilot sustained non-life threatening injuries and was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. This report is closed awaiting further action and amendments as required. A call was made to the st. lucie sheriff?s department for the police report and any pictures as applicable and a full report from the tower has been obtained and made available.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT OF N236X, AN SLSA JABIRU SPORT AIRCRAFT ON 03/30/2021 DEPARTED FT. PIERCE (KFPR) ON A PLEASURE FLIGHT TO THE WEST OF THE AIRPORT AND AFTER 10 MINUTES OR SO STARTED TO EXPERIENCE ENGINE ROUGHNESS AND THEN SMOOTHED OUT. THE PILOT STATED HE TURNED TO RETURN AT 2500 FEET AND THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH AGAIN. HE CONTACTED THE TOWER AND RECEIVED A STRAIGHT CLEARANCE FROM 13 MILES OUT. HE STATED HE PERFORMED IN FLIGHT OPS CHECKS TO INCLUDE CARB HEAT AND MAG CHECKS. THE CARB HEAT DID NOT HELP, AND REMAINED ON WHILE CHECKING THE MAGS, WITH NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE HOWEVER, WHEN CYCLED TO THE LEFT THE ENGINE STOPPED THEREFORE, RETURNED BACK TO BOTH. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SHAKING AT THIS POINT AND HELD HIS 65 KNOT LANDING SPEED HOWEVER COULD NOT MAINTAIN HIS ALTITUDE. HE THEN ADVISED THE TOWER HE WOULD NOT MAKE THE AIRPORT AND MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING ON A DIRT ROAD ALONGSIDE A CANAL. THE TOWER OBTAINED HIS POSITION AND DISPATCHED RESPONDERS. THE PILOT STATED AS HE WAS LINED UP WITH THE ROAD AND SETTING IT DOWN THE RIGHT WING CLEARED SOME SMALLER SHRUBBERY/ BRAMBLE, THAT?S WHEN THE LEFT WING STRUCK THE BRAMBLE, SWUNG THE PLANE AND PROPELLED THE AIRCRAFT INTO THE CANAL. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND DEEMED DESTROYED. THE LEFT WING WAS SEPARATED FROM THE WING BOX, AND THE RIGHT WING SIGNIFICANT SPAR DAMAGE. THE CABIN WAS SUBMERGED IN WATER AND AIRFRAME SKIN WAS TORN IN SEVERAL PLACES, WITH SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE FLAPS. THE PROPELLER BLADES SPLIT, THE NOSE CONE CRUSHED BUT REMAINED INTACT AND THE ENGINE MOUNTS WERE SNAPPED. A FUEL SAMPLE WAS TAKEN DURING DRAINING AND APPEARED NORMAL IN COLOR, SUFFICIENT GAS ONBOARD AND BOTH SELECTORS WERE IN THE ON POSITION. FURTHER EVALUATION WILL INVOLVE RUNNING THE ENGINE AND TEARDOWN IF REQUIRED, IF RUNNING THE ENGINE DOES NOT SHOW IMMEDIATE INDICATION OR MALFUNCTION. THE PILOT SUSTAINED NON-LIFE THREATENING INJURIES AND WAS TRANSPORTED TO A NEARBY HOSPITAL FOR TREATMENT. THIS REPORT IS CLOSED AWAITING FURTHER ACTION AND AMENDMENTS AS REQUIRED. A CALL WAS MADE TO THE ST. LUCIE SHERIFF?S DEPARTMENT FOR THE POLICE REPORT AND ANY PICTURES AS APPLICABLE AND A FULL REPORT FROM THE TOWER HAS BEEN OBTAINED AND MADE AVAILABLE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N236X · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.