What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
N967SH is a legacy Sonex st (sport trainer configuration) tri gear light sport aircraft powered by an aerovee vw conversion engine. The aircraft was purchased in 2004 and dar inspection was completed in October 2020.
Flight testing in October 2020 was cancelled because of necessary repairs to the fuel tank and canopy (both replaced with new).
The first flight occurred on October 7, 2021 after the am fog at Windham Airport (kijd) lifted. Winds were calm. Following pre-flight inspection, pilot referred to engine start check list and start up was normal.
Taxi to the runway 27 began about 9:30AM. Pilot states run-up to 1800 RPM was normal and all engine parameters were within normal operating range.
Pilot lined the aircraft up with the centerline of 27 and began a gradual acceleration, lifting off at about 55 mph. Pilot announced a RH climbing turn to 3,000 feet above the traffic pattern. Making several circuits above the Windham traffic pattern, pilot reached 2,000 feet and reduced the climb rate to lower cylinder head temperatures. After several more circuits pilot reached 3000 feet and continued to circle above the traffic pattern. Pilot then slowed the aircraft to simulate landing by engaging first 10 degrees and then 30 degrees of flaps. After another circuit at 3000 feet, pilot retracted the flaps and made a LH 180 degree turn to get on a 45-degree diagonal for rwy 27, while descending to the traffic pattern altitude.
Pilot flew downwind, base and final and decided to go around because he was too high and too fast. Pilot repeated this and made a second go around because base leg was too short to get lined up with the runway. The third circuit of the pattern was the best, pilot states. Pilot engaged 10 degrees of flaps on the base leg and on final approach was lined up with the rwy 27 centerline at about 70 mph.
Touch down was at about 60 mph and then the aircraft veered to the left and rolled into the grass and struck the rwy marker illuminated sign and continued to strike a taxi light and come to rest on a taxiway.
Aircraft was removed from this area prior to FAA arrival by airman. The aircraft was available for inspection on the ramp, on October 8, 2021. Airman was interviewed and photographs taken. Aircraft sustained damage to the left wing, wheel pants, fuselage belly, propeller and engine damage. No other mechanical issues reported. Spoke with NTSB, who chose to close out as minor damage and did not come to scene. Airman was forthright and willing to discuss incident. Airman was found not to have recent training or a current biennial flight review, last was may 2019, per CFR 61.56. As conclusion, remedial training will be performed to get airman up to compliance with flight training and a wings phase completion with the wings faast team.
As the FAA filed it
N967SH IS A LEGACY SONEX ST (SPORT TRAINER CONFIGURATION) TRI GEAR LIGHT SPORT AIRCRAFT POWERED BY AN AEROVEE VW CONVERSION ENGINE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS PURCHASED IN 2004 AND DAR INSPECTION WAS COMPLETED IN OCTOBER 2020.
FLIGHT TESTING IN OCTOBER 2020 WAS CANCELLED BECAUSE OF NECESSARY REPAIRS TO THE FUEL TANK AND CANOPY (BOTH REPLACED WITH NEW).
THE FIRST FLIGHT OCCURRED ON OCTOBER 7, 2021 AFTER THE AM FOG AT WINDHAM AIRPORT (KIJD) LIFTED. WINDS WERE CALM. FOLLOWING PRE-FLIGHT INSPECTION, PILOT REFERRED TO ENGINE START CHECK LIST AND START UP WAS NORMAL.
TAXI TO THE RUNWAY 27 BEGAN ABOUT 9:30AM. PILOT STATES RUN-UP TO 1800 RPM WAS NORMAL AND ALL ENGINE PARAMETERS WERE WITHIN NORMAL OPERATING RANGE.
PILOT LINED THE AIRCRAFT UP WITH THE CENTERLINE OF 27 AND BEGAN A GRADUAL ACCELERATION, LIFTING OFF AT ABOUT 55 MPH. PILOT ANNOUNCED A RH CLIMBING TURN TO 3,000 FEET ABOVE THE TRAFFIC PATTERN. MAKING SEVERAL CIRCUITS ABOVE THE WINDHAM TRAFFIC PATTERN, PILOT REACHED 2,000 FEET AND REDUCED THE CLIMB RATE TO LOWER CYLINDER HEAD TEMPERATURES. AFTER SEVERAL MORE CIRCUITS PILOT REACHED 3000 FEET AND CONTINUED TO CIRCLE ABOVE THE TRAFFIC PATTERN. PILOT THEN SLOWED THE AIRCRAFT TO SIMULATE LANDING BY ENGAGING FIRST 10 DEGREES AND THEN 30 DEGREES OF FLAPS. AFTER ANOTHER CIRCUIT AT 3000 FEET, PILOT RETRACTED THE FLAPS AND MADE A LH 180 DEGREE TURN TO GET ON A 45-DEGREE DIAGONAL FOR RWY 27, WHILE DESCENDING TO THE TRAFFIC PATTERN ALTITUDE.
PILOT FLEW DOWNWIND, BASE AND FINAL AND DECIDED TO GO AROUND BECAUSE HE WAS TOO HIGH AND TOO FAST. PILOT REPEATED THIS AND MADE A SECOND GO AROUND BECAUSE BASE LEG WAS TOO SHORT TO GET LINED UP WITH THE RUNWAY. THE THIRD CIRCUIT OF THE PATTERN WAS THE BEST, PILOT STATES. PILOT ENGAGED 10 DEGREES OF FLAPS ON THE BASE LEG AND ON FINAL APPROACH WAS LINED UP WITH THE RWY 27 CENTERLINE AT ABOUT 70 MPH.
TOUCH DOWN WAS AT ABOUT 60 MPH AND THEN THE AIRCRAFT VEERED TO THE LEFT AND ROLLED INTO THE GRASS AND STRUCK THE RWY MARKER ILLUMINATED SIGN AND CONTINUED TO STRIKE A TAXI LIGHT AND COME TO REST ON A TAXIWAY.
AIRCRAFT WAS REMOVED FROM THIS AREA PRIOR TO FAA ARRIVAL BY AIRMAN. THE AIRCRAFT WAS AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION ON THE RAMP, ON OCTOBER 8, 2021. AIRMAN WAS INTERVIEWED AND PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN. AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING, WHEEL PANTS, FUSELAGE BELLY, PROPELLER AND ENGINE DAMAGE. NO OTHER MECHANICAL ISSUES REPORTED. SPOKE WITH NTSB, WHO CHOSE TO CLOSE OUT AS MINOR DAMAGE AND DID NOT COME TO SCENE. AIRMAN WAS FORTHRIGHT AND WILLING TO DISCUSS INCIDENT. AIRMAN WAS FOUND NOT TO HAVE RECENT TRAINING OR A CURRENT BIENNIAL FLIGHT REVIEW, LAST WAS MAY 2019, PER CFR 61.56. AS CONCLUSION, REMEDIAL TRAINING WILL BE PERFORMED TO GET AIRMAN UP TO COMPLIANCE WITH FLIGHT TRAINING AND A WINGS PHASE COMPLETION WITH THE WINGS FAAST TEAM.