Pilot And Builder Jim Wiebe Suffered Only Minor Injuries

The Belite Chipper has gone down in Anchorage, AK in an accident that pilot and builder Jim Wiebe attributes to likely fuel starvation.

Wiebe has been touring his latest airplane, a two-place E-AB that he recently upgraded to include metal wings, around the 49th state. Here is how he described the accident in a post on Facebook:

"While in the pattern at Lake Hood, I advised the tower I would go around. About 150 to 200' AGL while climbing out, the engine quit. Lake Hood's strip is very short, and I did not have time to check fuel tanks and restart. I advised tower I was landing, flew the plane towards the remaining runway for 2 or 3 seconds, then advised the tower I would not stop in the remaining runway. Impossible. Way too much speed.

"I touched down at the (wrong) end of the runway, immediately bounced high, then thought perhaps I could clear the chain link fence.

"I couldn't. Chipper's landing gear collided with the top of the fence, and went OVER the fence, and about 30 feet later, hit the marsh nose down, (immediate STOP), then rolled onto its back.

"In my mind, I can recall the violent snap as my body went taught in milliseconds against the seat belt and shoulder harness.

"A fraction of a second later, I'm hanging upside down.

"I think I turned off the master electrical, also I tried to turn off the fuel selector. (The NTSB investigator showed me a photo which shows that the selector was not in the off position, although it was sort, of, close.)

"I was then upside down, hanging, trying to get the seat belt off.

"Couldn't get it. Too much weight.

"Realized that there were liquids around. Gasoline?

"Tried some more on the seatbelt. Couldn't get it.

"I had the epiphany that if I could release my body weight somehow, the latch would move. I did that, and I plopped down.

"Then I pushed on the door, it was stuck closed.

"I remember applying additional pressure, and it popped open, and I fell to the ceiling of Chipper, and I crawled half out.

"A moment later, 2 or 3 guys ran up, ready to help, ready to rescue.

"And I got up, and walked out of the marsh with them."

Wiebe said in the post that Chipper has five fuel tanks. "I am essentially unharmed. I have some very minor scratches. My upper shins hit the bottom of the instrument panel. My lack of bodily harm is a testament to the honeycomb cabin structure," Wiebe wrote.

Wiebe said that the wreckage was being retained by the NTSB for further investigation.

(Image provided by Jim Wiebe via Facebook)

FMI: Facebook Post