The pilot reported that, while returning to the airport about 1,200 feet above the ground, the airplane’s engine developed a severe and instantaneous vibration. He reduced power and searched for an emergency landing spot. He selected a road near Safford, Arizona, but the airplane landed about 40 feet short in soft, rough sand, and the main landing gear separated from the Zenair CH701.
The pilot reported that his pilot-rated passenger saw “something black streaking from the right into the prop” before the vibration started.
He suspected it was a drone but was not sure. The pilot added that there was no blood or feathers on the airplane or propeller.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and right wing. Additionally, a portion of one propeller blade was not located at the accident site.
Using a handheld GPS, he returned to the area of the presumed inflight propeller strike and found pieces of the propeller. He added there were numerous motorcycle tracks and footprints, but no drone fragments were located.
The pilot reported as a safety recommendation that he suspected the airplane would have not sustained as much damage if he had landed in “one of the clear areas in the desert.” He added that he “overestimated glide performance.”
The pilot reported that there were no pre-accident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Probable Cause: The in-flight separation of a propeller blade for reasons that could not be determined based on the available evidence, which resulted in an off-airport landing on soft sand and the separation of main landing gear. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s selection of an unsuitable landing area.
This October 2019 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
it seems obvious from the presence of motorcycle tracks and footprints that there was a drone that the operator recovered to prevent being charged.
Ok, here is another NTSB, report where they demonstrate the “gotta find that this was related to pilot error” when we look at “probable cause:” After all this is a GA pilot.
“The in-flight separation of a propeller blade for reasons that could not be determined based on the available evidence, which resulted in an off-airport landing on soft sand and the separation of main landing gear. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s selection of an unsuitable landing area.”
At about 1000′ AGL, for many airplanes, you don’t have much time to figure out where you will land it. And if you should pick a spot, and then miss by 40′ by being short, the contributing cause is “pilot’s selection of an unsuitable landing area”. Pilot selected a suitable landing area, it is that the plane couldn’t make it that far. Pilot didn’t try to extend the glide, so we don’t have a low altitude stall spin.
But, it was a GA pilot, so there has to be some kind of pilot error here. Ever notice that when it is a revenue flight or 135/121 type operation with a pilot’s union involved, things are stated a bit differently?
Basically this guy was shot down by a drone (assuming it was a drone). The pilot didn’t get into a stall spin, but got it on the ground so that they could get out and walk away, not be carried away.
Outstanding in my book.
Per the pilot, in the form 6120, if he had chosen an open, flat area, the damage would probably been less.
He also mentioned that if he knew the power off glide profile, he would have been better prepared to know how far the aircraft would glide… a good idea in any aircraft.
I might be a better idea to use an aluminum prop vs wood, which probably would have not suffered much damage from the suspected drone strike.
Good landing, they walked away from it.
Trite, but true.
Jim’s statement is true. Not a trite statement. We are taught this so we realize that in an emergency situation, the plane is no longer important, life is.
A statement I read somewhere. After a a forced, crash landing, call the insurance company and ask them what they want to do with “their” airplane. You can’t do that if you don’t walk away from the landing.