What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft crashed into field. (.4)edo floats were installed on the airplane on 6/16/97, about 20 days before the accident. The pilot accumulated 5.8 hours total time in this airplane on floats. The revised weight and balance revealed a new useful load of 439 pounds. The pilot weighted 185 pounds, and was carrying a passenger weighing about 170 pounds and 36 gallons of fuel, which totaled 571 pounds. This was approximately 132 pounds over the airplane's maximum allowable gross weight. Shortly after takeoff, the airplane crashed and was destroyed by ground impact and postcrash fire. Ground scars were measured to be 50 feet long. A witness reported the airplane made a series of RPM changes, with the last being the engine going to full power. An examination of the airplane revealed neither a preimpact flight control failure nor any engine mechanical malfunction. A fuel sample from the right fuel tank appeared to be a mixture of auto gas and oil of the type commonly used for fuel in a two-stroke engine. The appearance of the fuel sample looked gold in color and had an oily feel to it when left to dry. (-23) aircraft departed barlow lake ( 3 miles southwest of Middleville, MI) at 0700 hours. Approximately 1.5 miles northeast the aircraft crashed in a field. A post fire occured and the aircraft was completely burned. Pilot and passenger sustained fatal injuries.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT CRASHED INTO FIELD. (.4)EDO FLOATS WERE INSTALLED ON THE AIRPLANE ON 6/16/97, ABOUT 20 DAYS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT ACCUMULATED 5.8 HOURS TOTAL TIME IN THIS AIRPLANE ON FLOATS. THE REVISED WEIGHT AND BALANCE REVEALED A NEW USEFUL LOAD OF 439 POUNDS. THE PILOT WEIGHTED 185 POUNDS, AND WAS CARRYING A PASSENGER WEIGHING ABOUT 170 POUNDS AND 36 GALLONS OF FUEL, WHICH TOTALED 571 POUNDS. THIS WAS APPROXIMATELY 132 POUNDS OVER THE AIRPLANE'S MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE GROSS WEIGHT. SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, THE AIRPLANE CRASHED AND WAS DESTROYED BY GROUND IMPACT AND POSTCRASH FIRE. GROUND SCARS WERE MEASURED TO BE 50 FEET LONG. A WITNESS REPORTED THE AIRPLANE MADE A SERIES OF RPM CHANGES, WITH THE LAST BEING THE ENGINE GOING TO FULL POWER. AN EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED NEITHER A PREIMPACT FLIGHT CONTROL FAILURE NOR ANY ENGINE MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION. A FUEL SAMPLE FROM THE RIGHT FUEL TANK APPEARED TO BE A MIXTURE OF AUTO GAS AND OIL OF THE TYPE COMMONLY USED FOR FUEL IN A TWO-STROKE ENGINE. THE APPEARANCE OF THE FUEL SAMPLE LOOKED GOLD IN COLOR AND HAD AN OILY FEEL TO IT WHEN LEFT TO DRY. (-23) AIRCRAFT DEPARTED BARLOW LAKE ( 3 MILES SOUTHWEST OF MIDDLEVILLE, MI) AT 0700 HOURS. APPROXIMATELY 1.5 MILES NORTHEAST THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED IN A FIELD. A POST FIRE OCCURED AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS COMPLETELY BURNED. PILOT AND PASSENGER SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.