What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft was on approach and landed short of the runway in a corn field. (.4) the experimental airplane was on its first test flight. A witness said he saw the airplane on a `...flat...' Approach toward the landing runway. He said he saw the wings banking left and right shortly before the airplane pitched down and collided with trees. A second witness said he saw the airplane settling `...faster than [it] should.' The investigation revealed no anomalies with the flight control system, engine or ignition system that would prevent flight. Fuel was found in the fuselage fuel tank. No fuel was observed in the undamaged engine-driven or electric fuel pumps or in the fuel line between the fuel servo and flow divider. The fuselage fuel tank vent was mounted on the bottom of the fuselage with its angled end facing aft. The fuel servo was bench flow checked and it met the manufacturer's flow specifications. The engine-driven and electric fuel pumps were hooked up in-line between the fuel strainer and engine. (-23) 1st flight of amatuer built aircraft. Flight appeared normal until turn from base to final. Pattern was flown low, chase aircraft observed lef t wing drop and aircraft impacted trees approx 1/8 mile from end of runway. Tree damage indicates engine probably was developing some power as aircraft struck trees.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT WAS ON APPROACH AND LANDED SHORT OF THE RUNWAY IN A CORN FIELD. (.4) THE EXPERIMENTAL AIRPLANE WAS ON ITS FIRST TEST FLIGHT. A WITNESS SAID HE SAW THE AIRPLANE ON A `...FLAT...' APPROACH TOWARD THE LANDING RUNWAY. HE SAID HE SAW THE WINGS BANKING LEFT AND RIGHT SHORTLY BEFORE THE AIRPLANE PITCHED DOWN AND COLLIDED WITH TREES. A SECOND WITNESS SAID HE SAW THE AIRPLANE SETTLING `...FASTER THAN [IT] SHOULD.' THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED NO ANOMALIES WITH THE FLIGHT CONTROL SYSTEM, ENGINE OR IGNITION SYSTEM THAT WOULD PREVENT FLIGHT. FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE FUSELAGE FUEL TANK. NO FUEL WAS OBSERVED IN THE UNDAMAGED ENGINE-DRIVEN OR ELECTRIC FUEL PUMPS OR IN THE FUEL LINE BETWEEN THE FUEL SERVO AND FLOW DIVIDER. THE FUSELAGE FUEL TANK VENT WAS MOUNTED ON THE BOTTOM OF THE FUSELAGE WITH ITS ANGLED END FACING AFT. THE FUEL SERVO WAS BENCH FLOW CHECKED AND IT MET THE MANUFACTURER'S FLOW SPECIFICATIONS. THE ENGINE-DRIVEN AND ELECTRIC FUEL PUMPS WERE HOOKED UP IN-LINE BETWEEN THE FUEL STRAINER AND ENGINE. (-23) 1ST FLIGHT OF AMATUER BUILT AIRCRAFT. FLIGHT APPEARED NORMAL UNTIL TURN FROM BASE TO FINAL. PATTERN WAS FLOWN LOW, CHASE AIRCRAFT OBSERVED LEF T WING DROP AND AIRCRAFT IMPACTED TREES APPROX 1/8 MILE FROM END OF RUNWAY. TREE DAMAGE INDICATES ENGINE PROBABLY WAS DEVELOPING SOME POWER AS AIRCRAFT STRUCK TREES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.