20210806018799I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Peter J Muller RAPTOR PROTOTYPE · Fairmont, NE · August 6, 2021

Date: August 6, 2021 · 06:55 local
Place: Fairmont, NE
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N352TD
Reported as: Peter J Muller Raptor Prototype
Reported engine: AUDI TDI
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 466 total

N352TDRegistration cancelled Oct 1, 2022 · Peter J Muller RAPTOR PROTOTYPES/N 1 · Built 2019 Airframe modelPeter J Muller RAPTOR PROTOTYPE Engine modelAudi TDI4 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.

The aircraft was enroute from manhattan, KS (mhk) to grand island, NE (gri) at 2700 ft. the pilot stated that while enroute he felt a vibration that he believed to be coming from the aircraft's engine gear reduction unit (redrive). Fairmont airport was close to his location. He turned from his northwest flight path to the southeast to land at Fairmont to check the aircraft. To avoid the vibration, the pilot had to reduce power. At a power setting that did not cause vibration, the aircraft could not maintain altitude long enough to make it to the Fairmont airport. The pilot landed the aircraft in a corn field approx. 5 miles northwest of the Fairmont airport. The aircraft suffered damage to the left main landing gear, nose landing gear and minor damage to the airframe.

As the FAA filed it

THE AIRCRAFT WAS ENROUTE FROM MANHATTAN, KS (MHK) TO GRAND ISLAND, NE (GRI) AT 2700 FT. THE PILOT STATED THAT WHILE ENROUTE HE FELT A VIBRATION THAT HE BELIEVED TO BE COMING FROM THE AIRCRAFT'S ENGINE GEAR REDUCTION UNIT (REDRIVE). FAIRMONT AIRPORT WAS CLOSE TO HIS LOCATION. HE TURNED FROM HIS NORTHWEST FLIGHT PATH TO THE SOUTHEAST TO LAND AT FAIRMONT TO CHECK THE AIRCRAFT. TO AVOID THE VIBRATION, THE PILOT HAD TO REDUCE POWER. AT A POWER SETTING THAT DID NOT CAUSE VIBRATION, THE AIRCRAFT COULD NOT MAINTAIN ALTITUDE LONG ENOUGH TO MAKE IT TO THE FAIRMONT AIRPORT. THE PILOT LANDED THE AIRCRAFT IN A CORN FIELD APPROX. 5 MILES NORTHWEST OF THE FAIRMONT AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT SUFFERED DAMAGE TO THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR, NOSE LANDING GEAR AND MINOR DAMAGE TO THE AIRFRAME.