What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft crashed into an onion field under unknown circumstances (.19)on November 14, 1998, about 0910 eastern standard time, a homebuilt Wichawk, N30HR, was destroyed when it struck the ground near Pine Island, new york. The two certificated private pilots were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight that originated from sussex, new jersey, about 0900. No flight plan had been filed for the flight conducted under 14 CFR part 91. The airplane had recently been sold by one of the pilots to the other pilot. The purpose of the flight was to check out the new owner in the airplane. According to one witness: "...I looked up at the airplane and heard the motor stop and then start again then stop and start again and then stop - the airplane then nose dived at about at 60 dedgree angle and crashed in the black dirt..." Another witness stated: "...I was watching the plane fly across the field. I heard the engine cut out and the plane suddenly nose dived and slowly circled. I ran around to the front of house and the plane hit the field..." On-site examination was conducted by an inspector from the federal aviation administration (FAA). He rep orted tha the airplane had impacted in an open field of soft dirt. There was a strong smell of fuel at the accident site. The engine was buried in the ground with the back of the engine flush with the ground. One magneto and the carburetor had separated from the engine. The metal propeller remained attached to the engine with one propeller blade bent back, and the other blade bent slightly forward. One propeller blade prevented full roation; however, partial rotation with no binding was observed. All flight control cables were intact and there were no breaks at attach points. The wings remained attached to the airplane and wing attach struts had not pulled out of the wings. The airspeed indicator needle was stuck at the 90 miles per hour position. According to FAA records, both pilots had less the 500 hours total time. (.4) the two place, experimental, homebuilt airplane departed on a local flight to familiarize the new owner with the airplane. Both pilots held private pilot certificates. The pilot-in-command (PIC) occupied the left seat and was the former owner. The second pilot (new owner) occupied the right sea t. witnesses heard the engine stop momentarily, and resume running. The airplane was observed to impact in a nose down attitude in an open field. No evidence of a pre-existing failure or malfunction was found with the airplane or engine. Toxicological examinations revealed no drugs in the PIC.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT CRASHED INTO AN ONION FIELD UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES (.19)ON NOVEMBER 14, 1998, ABOUT 0910 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A HOMEBUILT WICHAWK, N30HR, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT STRUCK THE GROUND NEAR PINE ISLAND, NEW YORK. THE TWO CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOTS WERE FATALLY INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT THAT ORIGINATED FROM SUSSEX, NEW JERSEY, ABOUT 0900. NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED FOR THE FLIGHT CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. THE AIRPLANE HAD RECENTLY BEEN SOLD BY ONE OF THE PILOTS TO THE OTHER PILOT. THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO CHECK OUT THE NEW OWNER IN THE AIRPLANE. ACCORDING TO ONE WITNESS: "...I LOOKED UP AT THE AIRPLANE AND HEARD THE MOTOR STOP AND THEN START AGAIN THEN STOP AND START AGAIN AND THEN STOP - THE AIRPLANE THEN NOSE DIVED AT ABOUT AT 60 DEDGREE ANGLE AND CRASHED IN THE BLACK DIRT..." ANOTHER WITNESS STATED: "...I WAS WATCHING THE PLANE FLY ACROSS THE FIELD. I HEARD THE ENGINE CUT OUT AND THE PLANE SUDDENLY NOSE DIVED AND SLOWLY CIRCLED. I RAN AROUND TO THE FRONT OF HOUSE AND THE PLANE HIT THE FIELD..." ON-SITE EXAMINATION WAS CONDUCTED BY AN INSPECTOR FROM THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA). HE REP ORTED THA THE AIRPLANE HAD IMPACTED IN AN OPEN FIELD OF SOFT DIRT. THERE WAS A STRONG SMELL OF FUEL AT THE ACCIDENT SITE. THE ENGINE WAS BURIED IN THE GROUND WITH THE BACK OF THE ENGINE FLUSH WITH THE GROUND. ONE MAGNETO AND THE CARBURETOR HAD SEPARATED FROM THE ENGINE. THE METAL PROPELLER REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE ENGINE WITH ONE PROPELLER BLADE BENT BACK, AND THE OTHER BLADE BENT SLIGHTLY FORWARD. ONE PROPELLER BLADE PREVENTED FULL ROATION; HOWEVER, PARTIAL ROTATION WITH NO BINDING WAS OBSERVED. ALL FLIGHT CONTROL CABLES WERE INTACT AND THERE WERE NO BREAKS AT ATTACH POINTS. THE WINGS REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE AIRPLANE AND WING ATTACH STRUTS HAD NOT PULLED OUT OF THE WINGS. THE AIRSPEED INDICATOR NEEDLE WAS STUCK AT THE 90 MILES PER HOUR POSITION. ACCORDING TO FAA RECORDS, BOTH PILOTS HAD LESS THE 500 HOURS TOTAL TIME. (.4) THE TWO PLACE, EXPERIMENTAL, HOMEBUILT AIRPLANE DEPARTED ON A LOCAL FLIGHT TO FAMILIARIZE THE NEW OWNER WITH THE AIRPLANE. BOTH PILOTS HELD PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATES. THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND (PIC) OCCUPIED THE LEFT SEAT AND WAS THE FORMER OWNER. THE SECOND PILOT (NEW OWNER) OCCUPIED THE RIGHT SEA T. WITNESSES HEARD THE ENGINE STOP MOMENTARILY, AND RESUME RUNNING. THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED TO IMPACT IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE IN AN OPEN FIELD. NO EVIDENCE OF A PRE-EXISTING FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND WITH THE AIRPLANE OR ENGINE. TOXICOLOGICAL EXAMINATIONS REVEALED NO DRUGS IN THE PIC.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.