N475C

On August 23, 2000, about 1645 Eastern Daylight Time, an Aviat A-1B, N475C, was substantially damaged during an aborted landing at Plum Island Airport, Newberryport, Massachusetts. The certificated private pilot and pilot rated passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight. No flight plan had been filed for the flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.

According to the front seat pilot and airplane owner, the flight was uneventful until he had completed a wheel landing on runway 28. The wing flaps were raised, the tail wheel was lowered, and the airplane became "squirrelly." Power was added for a "go-around". The airplane lifted momentarily, and then descended, contacted the ground, and departed the runway to the right with about a 20 to 30 degree angle. He next remembered the engine was not producing power, and the wings were level. The airplane settled to the ground, rolled, and struck a parked airplane. The pilot estimated the winds were a direct crosswind from the left at 8 knots.

The pilot rated passenger in the rear seat reported that he remembered a normal landing followed by a loss of directional control. He reported that he retarded the throttled when they were about 15 feet away from the other airplane. However, he also stated that he did not touch the control stick or rudder pedals. In his written statement, the pilot rated passenger reported that he told the pilot to cut the power over the intercom multiple times, but there was no response from the pilot.

An inspector from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), reported the airplane departed the runway to the right at a 30 degree angle. The airplane traveled for about 345 feet before it struck a parked, unoccupied airplane, which was about 170 feet to the right side of the runway. Uninterrupted tire tracks were observed leading from the runway to the accident site. On the accident airplane, both wing spars were bent, the engine mounts, and firewall were bent.