What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The aircraft was destroyed when it impacted terrain following a loss engine power while maneuvering near Columbus, new Mexico. The pilot stated the following: 'on the final pass (he) pulled up out of the field and initiated a turn towards deming, when an object came through the right corner windshield striking (him) in the head.' Rendering him unconscious. A witness who was approximately 1 mile from the accident site stated that he saw the airplane 'flying straight and then nose into the ground.' The witness did not hear any engine noises. Several workers, in a nearby field, reported that they observed the airplane pull out of the field and start to turn, when the engine quit. The owner examined the engine and determined that the exhaust side rocker box adn exhaust valve mechanism had broken off the number 7 cylider. There was a deep groove on the back side of a propeller blade. The owner stated that the rocker box could have been ejected from the engine and contacted a propeller balde which deflected the rocker box into the cabin. (-23) on August 21, 1997, at 1400 MST, a rockwell S2, N4893X, registered to robert john mamuzich, collided with the ground during agricultural sprayin g operations at a farm in Columbus, NM. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time. The aircraft was demolished and the pilot was seriously injured. The flight originated at deming airport, deming, NM, on August 21, 1997, at 0630 MST.
As the FAA filed it
THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT IMPACTED TERRAIN FOLLOWING A LOSS ENGINE POWER WHILE MANEUVERING NEAR COLUMBUS, NEW MEXICO. THE PILOT STATED THE FOLLOWING: 'ON THE FINAL PASS (HE) PULLED UP OUT OF THE FIELD AND INITIATED A TURN TOWARDS DEMING, WHEN AN OBJECT CAME THROUGH THE RIGHT CORNER WINDSHIELD STRIKING (HIM) IN THE HEAD.' RENDERING HIM UNCONSCIOUS. A WITNESS WHO WAS APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE FROM THE ACCIDENT SITE STATED THAT HE SAW THE AIRPLANE 'FLYING STRAIGHT AND THEN NOSE INTO THE GROUND.' THE WITNESS DID NOT HEAR ANY ENGINE NOISES. SEVERAL WORKERS, IN A NEARBY FIELD, REPORTED THAT THEY OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE PULL OUT OF THE FIELD AND START TO TURN, WHEN THE ENGINE QUIT. THE OWNER EXAMINED THE ENGINE AND DETERMINED THAT THE EXHAUST SIDE ROCKER BOX ADN EXHAUST VALVE MECHANISM HAD BROKEN OFF THE NUMBER 7 CYLIDER. THERE WAS A DEEP GROOVE ON THE BACK SIDE OF A PROPELLER BLADE. THE OWNER STATED THAT THE ROCKER BOX COULD HAVE BEEN EJECTED FROM THE ENGINE AND CONTACTED A PROPELLER BALDE WHICH DEFLECTED THE ROCKER BOX INTO THE CABIN. (-23) ON AUGUST 21, 1997, AT 1400 MST, A ROCKWELL S2, N4893X, REGISTERED TO ROBERT JOHN MAMUZICH, COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND DURING AGRICULTURAL SPRAYIN G OPERATIONS AT A FARM IN COLUMBUS, NM. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DEMOLISHED AND THE PILOT WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT DEMING AIRPORT, DEMING, NM, ON AUGUST 21, 1997, AT 0630 MST.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.