Noticed on today's FAA accident summary that active user Flyingron's Navion had a forced landing in Virginia. Listed as one occupant, no injuries, no damage.
Ron Wanttaja
Noticed on today's FAA accident summary that active user Flyingron's Navion had a forced landing in Virginia. Listed as one occupant, no injuries, no damage.
Ron Wanttaja
I sure hope he is OK.
The FAA prelim says no injuries. Says no damage, as well, but obviously there could be something that really got slammed. And, of course, there's the need to determine the root cause of the power loss.Originally Posted by Puertoricoflyer
I sure hope he is OK.
Right now, don't know if Ron himself or his wife was flying. FAA report just says one person on board, and the N-Number traces to Ron.
Ron Wanttaja
Update from Ron on a different forum:
"Alas, it apparently wasn't over. I picked up the plane from the annual and was flying it home yesterday afternoon and about 15 south of Lynchburg, VA the engine let go. Put it down on the gear pretty nicely in a cow pasture, only airframe damage was where I hit a fence post on roll out. The engine looks trashed. Still waiting to hear from the FAA."
Made a live spot on the Evening News as a "breaking story" however. "
Ron had had a similar problem last month, when an exhaust valve let go. He landed at an airport that time. He had flown it home for an annual since that repair, this was the first post-annual flight.
Favorite quote: "Yeah, the 66 year old Navion airframe covered my butt when the 12 year old Continental engine didn't. "
Ron Wanttaja
And...here's that news report. Ron and GA come across quite well, though the home-office news folks don't know the difference between a "glider" and a plane that glides....
http://wset.com/news/local/police-gl...down-in-gretna
Ron
Yes, the studio dispatched the news girl to the scene with the statement it was a Glider. I corrected her before we went on the air (i told her to call it a single engine airplane instead). I wasn't able to hear the lead in just what the reporter (Caren Pinto, nice girl) said to me. This all happened while we were waiting for the FAA to determine if they wanted to trek out to the field to see the thing (they decided not to).
Anyhow, the story was I'm flying along just SE of KLYH about 3500' (which is about 2800 AGL there I think). I'd been in the air about 45 minutes at that point. No signs of a problem when the engine started vibrating. Turned towards the nearest airport (W90, fortunately, I fly this route regularly and know where it is) and tell ROA approach I've got a problem. Ten seconds or so later there's a bang and it's a lot worse and there's oil on the windscreen and we're not producing any sort of power. I pick a field (mostly trees around where it happened) and start circling down. Set myself up on a short right base and drop the gear. Touch down, avoid the cows in the field, stand on the brakes but realize I'm going through a wire fence. Aim between the posts. Doesn't slow me down much. Finally roll to a stop another hundred feet later. Call ROA say I'm down safe. Shut everything down and get out. People are racing to the scene from nearby at this point. Several of them chase the cow that has followed me through the fence back into his field.
Engine is toast. Oil everywhere inside the cowl. A connecting rod is poking up through the top of the case. No airframe damage to speak of, did a better than average landing. Living on a grass strip has its plusses I guess. I took a fence post with the wing which made a nice post shape dent in the leading edge. My gear door on that side is bent (I think the wire caught it). THere's probably 20' of wire wrapped around the crankshaft and trailing back to the fence line.
Left a message for the insurance. They called me back an hour later saying they are on it. Have been going three ways between the FAA, the mechanic, and the insurance guys all morning.
Glad you are OK Ron. Are you going to have to separate the wings from the fuselage to get it out of there?
Ron, we don't actually know one another but because of this forum, I FEEL like I have come to know you over the years. It's because of this familiarity and personal connection that I'm especially thankful that you're alright.
There were 3 GA accidents in my geographic area over this past weekend and they were all fatalities. I didn't know any of them but your event puts a different perspective on the situation for me. Get back up on the horse asap.
Yeah, I've been in three way comms all afternoon with the FAA, the Insurance people, and my mechanic. They'll demate the wings and take it up to Culpeper where I still have a hangar (it's completely cleaned out though, I had been ready to turn it back in to the airport).
Well you are OK which is the important thing. if the airplane can't be fixed insurance can buy you another one.
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