20221021016629I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Dudley Kem WH4 HARPOON · Devils Lake, ND · October 21, 2022

Date: October 21, 2022 · 15:05 local
Place: Devils Lake, ND
Airport: Devils Lake Regional
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N358TS
Reported as: Dudley Kem WH4 Harpoon
Reported engine: WALTER 601D
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 747 total

N358TSRegistered now · Dudley Kem WH4 HARPOONS/N WH06 · Built 2007 Airframe modelDudley Kem WH4 HARPOON Engine modelWalter 601DTurbo-prop

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.

Aircraft departed runway 13 after a normal preflight. Pilot in command (PIC) stated that takeoff and initial climb was normal. PIC stated the engine began to lose power approximately 5 minutes while in climb. Out of caution, the PIC began a turn back to the airport. Engine power loss continued until the engine completely failed while in the turn. PIC configured the aircraft for best glide speed towards runway 31. PIC performed the downwind, engine out landing on runway 31. Upon touchdown, the aircraft's left wing tip tank made contact with the runway due to the slow, near stall landing speed. A slight crosswind contributed to the left-wing low condition. The aircraft sustained minor damage to the left-wing tip tank and outboard wing structure.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT DEPARTED RUNWAY 13 AFTER A NORMAL PREFLIGHT. PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC) STATED THAT TAKEOFF AND INITIAL CLIMB WAS NORMAL. PIC STATED THE ENGINE BEGAN TO LOSE POWER APPROXIMATELY 5 MINUTES WHILE IN CLIMB. OUT OF CAUTION, THE PIC BEGAN A TURN BACK TO THE AIRPORT. ENGINE POWER LOSS CONTINUED UNTIL THE ENGINE COMPLETELY FAILED WHILE IN THE TURN. PIC CONFIGURED THE AIRCRAFT FOR BEST GLIDE SPEED TOWARDS RUNWAY 31. PIC PERFORMED THE DOWNWIND, ENGINE OUT LANDING ON RUNWAY 31. UPON TOUCHDOWN, THE AIRCRAFT'S LEFT WING TIP TANK MADE CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY DUE TO THE SLOW, NEAR STALL LANDING SPEED. A SLIGHT CROSSWIND CONTRIBUTED TO THE LEFT-WING LOW CONDITION. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE TO THE LEFT-WING TIP TANK AND OUTBOARD WING STRUCTURE.