Sounds like the pilot made the best of a bad situation! Good to hear he will heal and be ok!
Bob wrote: > October 30 started off as a beautiful, sunny day with unlimited > ceiling/visibility and light/variable winds. After a thorough pre-flight and > two hi-speed taxi runs, N811RJ took off. The engine was sounding excellent, > aircraft was stable in all parameters, THEN at 300' began losing power, > engine still running and no obvious instrument/gauge indication anything was > wrong. Aircraft entered a left hand l5 degree turn and safely landed upon a > dry flat area next the riverbed. UNFORTUNATELY, the aircraft slid on the > light dust over the hard surface for over 450' and impacted an earth berm > just before Camelback Rd. > > The plane was being flown by an excellent test pilot, who was injured, > receiving a deep cut in the forehead, requiring 21 stitches, slight abrasions > on his left hand. He will heal and be okay. > > Test pilot told me he lost power at 300' and the engine responded to mixture > and throttle, just no power. Shut everything down just be landing. Impact > with berm at about 40 mph. The shoulder harness attachment points failed, > ripping the wooden structure from the fuselage. Damage includes spinner & > plate, 2 prop blades, nose gear, one exhaust pipe, oil filter casting, > distributor cap, main spar broke loose from fuselage breaking framework > around it, pilot side left rudder pedal bent, bottom of the fuselage from > firewall (firewall loose in a few places) to back the pilot seat torn loose. > > FAA/NTSB preliminary conclusion is that the fuel tank vent was blocked > partially somehow at altitude and caused the loss of power. > > I HAVE STARTED REBUILDING. > Until I know more, > > Bob > > >
