Jabiru LSA 55/3J U-C01 Emergency Landing in Chonburi

Incident Overview and Flight History On January 20, 2001, at 14:00 local time, a pilot and a passenger took off in a Jabiru LSA 55/3J light special aircraft, registration U-C01, from a temporary landing site at the C.M.T. Flying Club in Bang Phra, Sri Racha District, Chonburi Province. The flight was a test flight intended to support the evaluation for a special airworthiness certificate in Area 1, located south of the temporary site at an altitude of 500 feet. Approximately five minutes after takeoff, while over the Bang Phra Reservoir, the engine's RPM began to decrease. The pilot attempted to correct the issue by increasing engine power, which resulted in vibration and abnormal noise. When reducing power did not resolve the problem and the aircraft began to lose altitude, the pilot executed an emergency landing outside the airfield near the reservoir. The aircraft impacted uneven, sloping terrain, with the nose gear striking a mound of earth first. The nose gear assembly bent backward, and the aircraft's nose dropped and moved forward about five meters before striking another mound, causing the tail to rise. The aircraft sustained heavy damage, while the pilot and passenger were unharmed. The accident occurred at approximately 14:06.