20221217019159A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Royse Ralph L GLASAIR · Cottonwood, CA · December 17, 2022

Date: December 17, 2022 · 10:45 local
Place: Cottonwood, CA
Airport: Cottonwood
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N9YA
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR23LA074
Reported as: Royse Ralph L Glasair
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 1
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 3,115 total200 in this make and model3 in the last 90 days

N9YARegistered now · Royse Ralph L GLASAIRS/N 582R · Built 1986 Airframe modelRoyse Ralph L GLASAIR Engine modelLycoming O-320-B1AReciprocating

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 reported that he had not been able to fly for a while, due to poor weather. While on a personal sight seeing solo flight out of redding municipal airport (krdd), flying south at approximately 2000', the pilot said that the engine lost power and quit. The pilot had taken off on the auxiliary tank and it had been depleted. He then began looking for a place to land and saw the dirt strip from the flying n ranch airport (CA04). Given the low altitude, he was unable to switch to the main tank and attempt to restart the engine. He maneuvered the airplane to line up with the runway. The airplane impacted the ground approximately 100' short of the field. Photos available from the wreckage ofprivacy data omitted, as well as the pilots statement show that the nose gear collapsed and the left wing sustained substantial damage. Damage signitures to the propeller are consistent with a power off landing.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO FLY FOR A WHILE, DUE TO POOR WEATHER. WHILE ON A PERSONAL SIGHT SEEING SOLO FLIGHT OUT OF REDDING MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (KRDD), FLYING SOUTH AT APPROXIMATELY 2000', THE PILOT SAID THAT THE ENGINE LOST POWER AND QUIT. THE PILOT HAD TAKEN OFF ON THE AUXILIARY TANK AND IT HAD BEEN DEPLETED. HE THEN BEGAN LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO LAND AND SAW THE DIRT STRIP FROM THE FLYING N RANCH AIRPORT (CA04). GIVEN THE LOW ALTITUDE, HE WAS UNABLE TO SWITCH TO THE MAIN TANK AND ATTEMPT TO RESTART THE ENGINE. HE MANEUVERED THE AIRPLANE TO LINE UP WITH THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE GROUND APPROXIMATELY 100' SHORT OF THE FIELD. PHOTOS AVAILABLE FROM THE WRECKAGE OF^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, AS WELL AS THE PILOTS STATEMENT SHOW THAT THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED AND THE LEFT WING SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. DAMAGE SIGNITURES TO THE PROPELLER ARE CONSISTENT WITH A POWER OFF LANDING.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB WPR23LA074Accident · Minor injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportCottonwood, CAThe pilot’s fuel mismanagement which resulted in fuel starvation and a total loss of engine power.Dec 17, 2022 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N9YA · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 20101224053949ILanding: Rollout · Chico, CADuring approach to landing, the landing gear was extended. After the landing during approach to landing, the landing gear was extended. After the landing gear handle was placed down, the aircraft experienced electrical failure. The pilot was finally able to…Dec 24, 2010 · Minor damage