Monday, April 15, 2019

Europa Trigear, registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight, N120EJ: Accident occurred April 13, 2019 near Yolo County Airport (KDWA), California

The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident.

Additional Participating Entity:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Sacramento, California

Aviation Accident Preliminary Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf

https://registry.faa.gov/N120EJ

Location: Winters, CA
Accident Number: WPR19LA108
Date & Time: 04/13/2019, 1145 PDT
Registration: N120EJ
Aircraft: Europa XS
Injuries: 1 Serious
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal 

On April 13, 2019, about 1145 Pacific daylight time, a Europa XS airplane, N120EJ, was substantially damaged during a landing roll following a forced landing in Winters, California. The airline transport pilot was seriously injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed for the local flight, which departed Yolo County Airport (DWA), Davis, California at 1040.

According to the pilot, he had not flown the airplane for six months. Two days prior to his departure, the pilot sprayed oil into each cylinder through the spark plug port holes. He then turned the engine over by hand about 30 times and did not observe any binding. After cleaning and reinstalling the spark plugs, the pilot attempted to start the engine, but the battery was weak. He charged the battery and two days later, the engine started normally. The pilot departed DWA uneventfully and headed north before he turned west and climbed to 3,000 ft. He then turned south and checked his airspeed as he advanced the power to 2,950 rpm, but immediately heard a loud noise, which was accompanied by a sudden vibration and then a partial loss of power. The pilot turned towards his departure airport and reduced his engine power. During this time he observed the exhaust gas temperature on the multi-function display (MFD) and determined that cylinder no. 5 had failed. He advanced the throttle again and the engine continued to run with a vibration. He announced "Mayday" over the airport common traffic advisory frequency and then turned to the final approach leg of the airport, at which point the engine experienced a total loss of power. The pilot was about 2 nm from the runway when he received an advisory on his MFD for nearby traffic 300 ft beneath him. He turned west into the wind and selected a plowed field with farrows to attempt a forced landing. He entered the airplane into a slip, but descended too quickly and was forced to maneuver to avoid a weather station tower. As the airplane touched down, the nose landing gear dug into the dirt field and the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted.

A review of photographs furnished by law enforcement personnel revealed substantial damage to the right wing and empennage.

The wreckage was retained for further examination.

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Europa
Registration: N120EJ
Model/Series: XS
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built: Yes
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: , 68 ft msl
Observation Time: 1155 PDT
Distance from Accident Site: 4 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point: 20°C / 8°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 4 knots / , 50°
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility:  10 Miles
Altimeter Setting: 30.04 inches Hg
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Departure Point: Davis/Woodland/Winters, CA (DWA)
Destination: Davis/Woodland/Winters, CA (DWA)

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Serious
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 Serious
Latitude, Longitude: 38.553333, -121.866667



DAVIS, California (KCRA) — Officials are investigating a small plane crash near County Road 95 and County Road 31 in Davis, the Yolo County Sheriff’s Office said.

Deputies responded to the plane crash at around 11 a.m. Saturday, just south of the Yolo County airport, the Sheriff’s Office said.

The plane initially took off from the airport. Officials said the pilot then tried to land the plane in a farm field and the plane flipped over.

The Sheriff’s Office said that the pilot was the only occupant of the plane and was taken to a nearby hospital. He suffered major injuries, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The Federal Aviation Administration is now investigating.

Original article can be found here ➤ https://www.kcra.com

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