Nelson RV 3M N43AZ

Summary

On 10 August 2014 at about 19:20 local time, a Nelson RV 3M registered N43AZ was involved in an accident near North Plains, Oregon, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

10 August 2014 at 19:20

Classification

Accident

Location

North Plains, Oregon, United States

Nearest airport

North Plains Gliderport (1OR4)

Coordinates

45.6022, -123.0214

Aircraft

Nelson RV 3M

Registration

N43AZ

Category

Airplane

Year built

1991

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

North Plains → Estacada

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR14LA338

Nobody was injured.

A partial loss of engine power for undetermined reasons which resulted in a landing gear collapse during the precautionary landing to a field.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, after a thorough preflight inspection, he taxied the airplane to the run-up area with the right fuel tank selected. He then switched to the left fuel tank for the run-up, and all indications were normal. He then switched back to the right fuel tank and took off for the personal cross-country flight. When the airplane reached about 200 ft above ground level, he made a left turn. Subsequently, the engine power reduced to about 1,000 rpm. The pilot chose to initiate a precautionary landing to a field during which the landing gear folded up beneath and into the bottom of the wings that resulted in substantial damaged to both wings and the fuselage. Subsequently the airplane slid about 100 yards before coming to rest. Although only about 1 inch of fuel was found in the left-wing fuel tank, and no fuel was found in the right-wing fuel tank, there was evidence that fuel had drained out of the airplane; thus, fuel exhaustion was unlikely. Based on the available information, the reason for the partial loss of engine power could not be determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.