Summary
On April 30, 2011, a Franke Harry C AVID FLYER B (N145HF) was involved in an incident near Somerset, PA. All 2 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot’s failure to hold full power for takeoff.
The pilot stated that he conducted a preflight inspection and a ground run up prior to the flight. There were no discrepancies noted then, with the takeoff, and initial climb. When the airplane reached approximately 65 feet above the ground, just over the asphalt end section of the runway, he leveled off the climb and raised the flaps. Suddenly, the engine, "quit", had a loss of power. The pilot lowered the nose of the airplane and attempted to level off before landing but hit the ground hard, collapsing the main gears, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage structure. He and the passenger exited the airplane unharmed.
This incident is documented in NTSB report ERA11CA279. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N145HF.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot’s failure to hold full power for takeoff.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
The pilot stated that he conducted a preflight inspection and a ground run up prior to the flight. There were no discrepancies noted then, with the takeoff, and initial climb. When the airplane reached approximately 65 feet above the ground, just over the asphalt end section of the runway, he leveled off the climb and raised the flaps. Suddenly, the engine, "quit", had a loss of power. The pilot lowered the nose of the airplane and attempted to level off before landing but hit the ground hard, collapsing the main gears, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage structure. He and the passenger exited the airplane unharmed. Later the pilot realized and confirmed that the friction lock on the engine throttle was not engage correctly resulting in the throttle to roll back to the idle position.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# ERA11CA279