Accident Overview
On November 5, 2020, at about 1430 central standard time, a Just Aircraft SuperSTOL airplane, registration N339PW, was substantially damaged during a hard landing near Edgard, Louisiana. The airplane was being operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot, a student pilot, was not injured.
Sequence of Events
The student pilot was practicing takeoffs and landings. While on final approach at an altitude of about 150 ft above ground level, the engine lost power. According to the pilot, the airplane’s nose “dipped immediately.” The pilot was able to restore engine power, but stated it was “too late to slow [the] descent” to avoid a hard landing. During the hard landing, the right wing separated from the fuselage at the root, the right-wing strut buckled, and the main landing gear collapsed.
Post-Accident Inspection
Examination of the wreckage revealed that both the left and right-wing fuel tanks appeared to have been compromised. No fuel was recovered from the left-wing tank; about 1 gallon of fuel was recovered from the right-wing tank. The fuel lines appeared intact, and both carburetors appeared undamaged. The carburetor bowls contained trace amounts of uncontaminated fuel. Internal engine continuity was confirmed via rotation of the crankshaft, and engine control continuity was confirmed. No anomalies with respect to the engine or the airframe fuel system were observed.
In the National Transportation Safety Board’s Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report form, the pilot noted the importance of maintaining airspeed “even in [an] emergency engine failure.”