During his Private Pilot checkride over the weekend, Brian Garrett of Westminster, Colorado, had to deal with a real in-flight emergency on top of all the other required practical test maneuvers after one of the blades on his Sting Sport LSA separated midflight.
According to the Longmont Times-Call, at some point during the flight exam the Sting Sport TL-2000’s engine started running rough, forcing Garrett to set up for a landing in a farm field near the town of Mead.
Garrett told the newspaper he was unsure of what was happening after the propeller blade separated, but that his training immediately kicked in. He made a Mayday call and executed a forced landing, during which a second blade was sheared from the airplane. Neither he nor the designated pilot examiner on board was injured in the hard landing.
Garrett has been flying for several years with a Sport Pilot certificate and had recently completed his Private Pilot training. After the successful emergency landing, the examiner informed Garrett that he had fully demonstrated his competence and passed the exam.
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