ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 68887
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| Date: | Saturday 14 June 1997 |
| Time: | 15:20 LT |
| Type: |  Glaser-Dirks DG-400 |
| Owner/operator: | Thomas A. Seim |
| Registration: | N321V |
| MSN: | 4-149 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 75 hours |
| Engine model: | Rotax 505 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Weston, OR -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Kennewick, WA (S98) |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
After using the engine to take off and fly to the area where he was going to soar, the pilot retracted the engine into the fuselage. When he was finished soaring, the pilot extended the engine and attempted to restart it. When he could not get it to restart after several attempts, the pilot elected to make a forced landing in an open field. Because the aircraft was low to the ground when the pilot gave up on his attempts to get the engine started, he did not have time to retract the engine, and he forgot to extend the wing flaps. Because the engine was extended and the flaps were in the up position, the aircraft touched down with an excessive rate of descent. The force of the impact caused both wings to flex downward and contact the terrain. One wing became stuck in the soft dirt, and as the aircraft was spun around, its structure received substantial damage. According to the pilot, the reason his engine would not start was because he had forgotten to move the ignition switch to the 'on' position prior to attempting the engine start. He also stated that he had recently purchased the aircraft, and that he did not use a checklist for the engine start, nor did he use a before landing checklist. He further stated that the gliders he was accustomed to flying did not have wing flaps.
Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to attain a proper descent rate during the forced landing. Factors include: the pilot's failure to use an 'engine start' checklist, failure to turn the ignition switch to the 'on' position, failure to use the landing checklist, failure to lower the wing flaps, and lack of experience in this make and model aircraft.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB SEA97LA142
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 12-Oct-2009 11:46 | David Colclasure | Added |
| 26-Jun-2013 14:07 | Alpine Flight | Updated [Time, Cn, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Narrative] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:25 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 08-Apr-2024 14:52 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Plane category, Category, Accident report] |
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