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20250702008969I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Republic RC-3 · Grants, NM · July 2, 2025

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 2, 2025 · 11:10 local
Place
Grants, NM
Airport
Grants-Milan Municipal Airport
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N451Z
Reported as
Republic RC-3
Reported engine
GM LS3
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Airline transport
Pilot’s flight hours
3,800 total
N451ZRegistered now · Republic RC-3S/N 584 · Built 1947Airframe modelRepublic RC-3Engine modelGM LS3Reciprocating

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.

On July 2, 2025, a Republic RC-3 aircraft was involved in a landing incident at kgnt airport after just departing on a VFR part 91 personal flight to kgup. There was no flight plan on file and the sole occupant / pilot was not injured. Aircraft departed VFR kgnt at approximately 10:45 for kgup. Fuel onboard was 60 gallons. About 8 nautical miles west of kgnt at around 7800 MSL the engine lost considerable power and RPM with no warning. After turning back to kgnt the aircraft could only maintain at a 500 foot per minute descent. This was insufficient to reach the runway at kgnt. The aircraft landed south and west of the runway in tall grass where the wing pontoons and landing gear were damaged, no other damage was sustained. The aircraft engine was still running after landing and had to be shut down. Aircraft had been converted to an automotive-type V8 engine with a chain driven propeller speed reduction unit and was registered experimental exhibition. Engine turned freely, had full oil, and full engine coolant. There was no indication of why the engine lost its ability to maintain full power.

As the FAA filed it

ON JULY 2, 2025, A REPUBLIC RC-3 AIRCRAFT WAS INVOLVED IN A LANDING INCIDENT AT KGNT AIRPORT AFTER JUST DEPARTING ON A VFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT TO KGUP. THERE WAS NO FLIGHT PLAN ON FILE AND THE SOLE OCCUPANT / PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. AIRCRAFT DEPARTED VFR KGNT AT APPROXIMATELY 10:45 FOR KGUP. FUEL ONBOARD WAS 60 GALLONS. ABOUT 8 NAUTICAL MILES WEST OF KGNT AT AROUND 7800 MSL THE ENGINE LOST CONSIDERABLE POWER AND RPM WITH NO WARNING. AFTER TURNING BACK TO KGNT THE AIRCRAFT COULD ONLY MAINTAIN AT A 500 FOOT PER MINUTE DESCENT. THIS WAS INSUFFICIENT TO REACH THE RUNWAY AT KGNT. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED SOUTH AND WEST OF THE RUNWAY IN TALL GRASS WHERE THE WING PONTOONS AND LANDING GEAR WERE DAMAGED, NO OTHER DAMAGE WAS SUSTAINED. THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING AFTER LANDING AND HAD TO BE SHUT DOWN. AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN CONVERTED TO AN AUTOMOTIVE-TYPE V8 ENGINE WITH A CHAIN DRIVEN PROPELLER SPEED REDUCTION UNIT AND WAS REGISTERED EXPERIMENTAL EXHIBITION. ENGINE TURNED FREELY, HAD FULL OIL, AND FULL ENGINE COOLANT. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF WHY THE ENGINE LOST ITS ABILITY TO MAINTAIN FULL POWER.