20220717012299I

Incident · No damage

FAA incident report · Lyon James C KITFOX IV SPEEDSTER · Chapel Hill, NC · July 17, 2022

Date: July 17, 2022 · 19:00 local
Place: Chapel Hill, NC
Airport: Eagles Landing
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: No damage
Aircraft: N410TM
Reported as: Lyon James C Kitfox IV Speedster
Reported engine: ROTAX 912
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 105 total

N410TMRegistered now · Lyon James C KITFOX IV SPEEDSTERS/N JCS137 · Built 1998 Airframe modelLyon James C KITFOX IV SPEEDSTER Engine modelRotax 912 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.

Pilot had taken off from burlington NC (kbuy). He said that he was looking at the sights when his engine began sputtering. He cut power and the engine began running smoothly again. Pilot said that he figured that he might be able to glide to the airport as the aircraft was equipped with a stol kit, however to minimize unknowns, decided to land in a long, flat cow pasture instead. Pilot called mayday, squawked 7700, and performed the Landing in the field without issue. Pilot fueled the aircraft and departed the field the next day. (18 July 2022)

As the FAA filed it

PILOT HAD TAKEN OFF FROM BURLINGTON NC (KBUY). HE SAID THAT HE WAS LOOKING AT THE SIGHTS WHEN HIS ENGINE BEGAN SPUTTERING. HE CUT POWER AND THE ENGINE BEGAN RUNNING SMOOTHLY AGAIN. PILOT SAID THAT HE FIGURED THAT HE MIGHT BE ABLE TO GLIDE TO THE AIRPORT AS THE AIRCRAFT WAS EQUIPPED WITH A STOL KIT, HOWEVER TO MINIMIZE UNKNOWNS, DECIDED TO LAND IN A LONG, FLAT COW PASTURE INSTEAD. PILOT CALLED MAYDAY, SQUAWKED 7700, AND PERFORMED THE LANDING IN THE FIELD WITHOUT ISSUE. PILOT FUELED THE AIRCRAFT AND DEPARTED THE FIELD THE NEXT DAY. (18 JULY 2022)