Narrative:

I was PIC of a grumman ov-1D mohawk aircraft on a ferry flight from racine, wi, to anderson, in. After arrival the aircraft was to be installed as a static display at a military museum near anderson. On the flight from rac to aid there was another pilot on board to record engine, propeller and other flight data because the engines were to be removed and utilized on other aircraft if the data showed they were in good condition. Approximately 30 mins from destination, the left propeller went into an overspd condition and the engine had to be shut down. The flight continued normally until the final approach to landing. At that time I allowed the aircraft to get too slow on final. I was unable to add enough power to recover and the aircraft touched down with the gear half extended and 350 ft short of the runway. When the aircraft stopped, I completed shutdown and the other crew member and I exited the aircraft. During the ensuing investigation, I was told by different officials that I was not authority/authorized to have anyone else on board the aircraft. I have flown the ov-1 since 1970 in the active army, the army reserves, the national guard and as a civilian contracted instructor. Since day 1 I have been taught that the minimum crew for an ov-1 is 2. As a unit mission pilot, the right seat was an observer or system operator. As a test pilot this would be a crew chief or a system or avionics specialist. As an instructor, this was a check pilot or student. There are exceptions to the 2 crew rule, but they are exceptions made by military commanding officers to position aircraft for missions or out of WX conditions. The right seat crew member on board that day was a pilot, an aircraft organization member and was asked to go to gather data, not for a joy ride. He performed the function for which he was on board and I have the actual sheets where he wrote the requested data during the flight. My letter of authority/authorized issued by the FAA does not address minimum crew requirements. If the FAA determines that I must move civilian ov-1's with only a crew of 1, I will be happy to comply, but I feel that a 2 person crew is indeed safer.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GRUMMAN OV-1D BEING FERRIED FOR MIL MUSEUM DISPLAY. L ENG PROP OVERSPD RESULTING IN ENG SHUTDOWN. NORMAL APCH ON 1 ENG BUT PLT ALLOWED ACFT TO GET TOO SLOW ON FINAL AND LANDED 350 FT SHORT OF RWY. TOUCHDOWN WITH GEAR ONE HALF EXTENDED. MAJOR DAMAGE TO ACFT, NO INJURIES THE FLC.

Narrative: I WAS PIC OF A GRUMMAN OV-1D MOHAWK ACFT ON A FERRY FLT FROM RACINE, WI, TO ANDERSON, IN. AFTER ARR THE ACFT WAS TO BE INSTALLED AS A STATIC DISPLAY AT A MIL MUSEUM NEAR ANDERSON. ON THE FLT FROM RAC TO AID THERE WAS ANOTHER PLT ON BOARD TO RECORD ENG, PROP AND OTHER FLT DATA BECAUSE THE ENGS WERE TO BE REMOVED AND UTILIZED ON OTHER ACFT IF THE DATA SHOWED THEY WERE IN GOOD CONDITION. APPROX 30 MINS FROM DEST, THE L PROP WENT INTO AN OVERSPD CONDITION AND THE ENG HAD TO BE SHUT DOWN. THE FLT CONTINUED NORMALLY UNTIL THE FINAL APCH TO LNDG. AT THAT TIME I ALLOWED THE ACFT TO GET TOO SLOW ON FINAL. I WAS UNABLE TO ADD ENOUGH PWR TO RECOVER AND THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN WITH THE GEAR HALF EXTENDED AND 350 FT SHORT OF THE RWY. WHEN THE ACFT STOPPED, I COMPLETED SHUTDOWN AND THE OTHER CREW MEMBER AND I EXITED THE ACFT. DURING THE ENSUING INVESTIGATION, I WAS TOLD BY DIFFERENT OFFICIALS THAT I WAS NOT AUTH TO HAVE ANYONE ELSE ON BOARD THE ACFT. I HAVE FLOWN THE OV-1 SINCE 1970 IN THE ACTIVE ARMY, THE ARMY RESERVES, THE NATIONAL GUARD AND AS A CIVILIAN CONTRACTED INSTRUCTOR. SINCE DAY 1 I HAVE BEEN TAUGHT THAT THE MINIMUM CREW FOR AN OV-1 IS 2. AS A UNIT MISSION PLT, THE R SEAT WAS AN OBSERVER OR SYS OPERATOR. AS A TEST PLT THIS WOULD BE A CREW CHIEF OR A SYS OR AVIONICS SPECIALIST. AS AN INSTRUCTOR, THIS WAS A CHK PLT OR STUDENT. THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS TO THE 2 CREW RULE, BUT THEY ARE EXCEPTIONS MADE BY MIL COMMANDING OFFICERS TO POS ACFT FOR MISSIONS OR OUT OF WX CONDITIONS. THE R SEAT CREW MEMBER ON BOARD THAT DAY WAS A PLT, AN ACFT ORGANIZATION MEMBER AND WAS ASKED TO GO TO GATHER DATA, NOT FOR A JOY RIDE. HE PERFORMED THE FUNCTION FOR WHICH HE WAS ON BOARD AND I HAVE THE ACTUAL SHEETS WHERE HE WROTE THE REQUESTED DATA DURING THE FLT. MY LETTER OF AUTH ISSUED BY THE FAA DOES NOT ADDRESS MINIMUM CREW REQUIREMENTS. IF THE FAA DETERMINES THAT I MUST MOVE CIVILIAN OV-1'S WITH ONLY A CREW OF 1, I WILL BE HAPPY TO COMPLY, BUT I FEEL THAT A 2 PERSON CREW IS INDEED SAFER.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.