ATL04CA115

NTSB accident investigation · Loehle Ent. 2/3 Earlybird Jenny · Grantham, NC · May 13, 2004

Accident · Minor injuriesData collectionFinal report
Date
May 13, 2004, 19:10 local (23:10 UTC)
Place
Grantham, NC
Injuries
1 minor
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N112PELoehle Ent. 2/3 Earlybird Jenny
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report September 1, 2004
Report
Approved by Office Director
Parties
Greensboro, NC
FAA report
20040513009569A
Case key
59444

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.

Sequence of events

NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.

Loss of engine power(partial) - nonmechanicalLanding - aborted
Reason for occurrence undeterminedCause
Forced landingDescent - emergency
In flight collision with objectDescent - emergency
Object - tree(s)

Analysis

The pilot stated that the airplane touched down a little more than one-quarter of the runway. The airplane bounced and the pilot performed a go around. As the pilot pushed the throttles forward, he noted that the airplane felt "bogged down" and did not develop full power. The pilot stated that he banked left to avoid a collision with trees at the end of the runway, however the airplane collided with trees on the left side of the runway. The airplane came to rest approximately 50 yards beyond the tree line.

Examination of the wreckage revealed that the engine was broken from the mounts, the left wing was damaged, the bottom of the right wing was crushed and the right wing guy wires were broken. An engine examination revealed that sediment was in the carburetor bowls, however a functional engine run was accomplished.

Factual narrative

On May 13, 2004, at 1910 eastern daylight time, an experimental 2/3 scale Earlybird Jenny airplane, N112PE, registered to and operated by private owners, collided with trees during a go-around at a private airstrip in Grantham, North Carolina. The personal flight was operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was substantially damaged and the pilot had minor injuries. The flight originated at Cox-Grantham Airfield, Grantham, North Carolina, at 1830 on May 13, 2004.

The pilot planned to land at Shane Field, a private airstrip in Grantham, North Carolina. The pilot stated that the airplane touched down a little more than one-quarter of the runway. The airplane bounced and the pilot performed a go around. As the pilot pushed the throttles forward, he noted that the airplane felt "bogged down" and did not develop full power. The pilot stated that he banked left to avoid a collision with trees at the end of the runway, however the airplane collided with trees on the left side of the runway. The airplane came to rest approximately 50 yards beyond the tree line.

Examination of the wreckage revealed that the engine was broken from the mounts, the left wing was damaged, the bottom of the right wing was crushed and the right wing guy wires were broken. An engine examination revealed that sediment was in the carburetor bowls, however a functional engine run was accomplished.

The maximum gross weight of the 2/3 Earlybird Jenny airplane is 800 pounds. The pilot's medical certificate shows that he weighs 304 pounds. According to the pilot, he had accumulated a total of 121 hours. He had less than 10 hours of flight time in the 2/3 Earlybird Jenny airplane, all of which had been accumulated within the previous 90 days.

The runway orientation at Shane Field is 350 magnetic and with trees and power lines on both ends. The grass/turf runway is 1500 feet long and 40 feet wide.

The weather information at Seymour Johnson AFB (GSB), approximately 10 miles east of Cox-Grantham field, at 1955 were winds from 160 degrees at 7 knots, visibility 7 statute miles, few clouds at 4000 feet (above ground level), temperature 25 degrees Celsius, dew point 18 degrees Celsius.

Aircraft

Registration
N112PE
Reported as
Loehle Ent. 2/3 Earlybird Jenny
Category
Airplane, amateur-built
Serial number
AE-0-0-1
Airframe hours
9.3
Engine
Rotax 503, 50 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Operator
R Allen/W Edmundson
Registered owner
Ronnie Allen
Airworthiness certificate
Special, Experimental (Special)
Last inspection
Annual · November 21, 2003
Departed
6NC0 · Grantham, NC
Destination
PRVT · Grantham, NC
Airport
PRVT · Shane Field, runway 350, 1,500 × 40 ft, grass/turf

Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

Role
Pilot
Age
56
Injuries
Minor
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Medical
Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
Last flight review
October 30, 2003
Seat
Front
Flight hours
121 total · 10 in this make and model · 60 as pilot in command · 16 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
160° at 7 knots
Visibility
7 statute miles
Temperature
77 °F, dew point 64 °F
Altimeter
30.21 inHg
Observed at
KGSB, 10 nm away

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.