What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft crashed into a heavily wooded area while doing touch and go landings at a Private arpt, other circumstances are unknown. (-23) on 04/09/99 at approx. 1816 hours local Mr. George william donaldson holder of certificate #512261997 was solo in a champ-7-ECA (N2990G) performing touch & go landings at his Private airstrip (located on a hill) approx. 8 miles northwest of atchisnson, KS. On his last touch & go the aircraft struck a small tree ( approx. 4'-5' tall) on the southeast end of the landing strip. The aircraft appeared to have veered off to the left, over an open field, & impacted into a wooded area approx. 1/4 of a mile from the initial impact. The aircraft received substantial damage. It appeared that the engine was not making power when it contacted the ground. The pilot was able to remove himself from the wreckage and move to an open field outside the wooded area. The pilot was airlifted by lifenet to heartland east hospital in st. joe, MO with serious injuries. (.4) the pilot of the accident airplane said that he had flown around the local area and was returning to his Private Airport for two or three touch and goes. On his last approach he said that he made a l ong gliding decent with the airplane to the runway, the airplane touched down, he applied power, the airplane rose to approximately 25 feet above ground level, and the airplane lost engine power. He stated that the airplane settled, impacted trees, and came to rest impacting terrain 200 feet lower in elevation than the runway.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT CRASHED INTO A HEAVILY WOODED AREA WHILE DOING TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS AT A PRIVATE ARPT, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (-23) ON 04/09/99 AT APPROX. 1816 HOURS LOCAL MR. GEORGE WILLIAM DONALDSON HOLDER OF CERTIFICATE #512261997 WAS SOLO IN A CHAMP-7-ECA (N2990G) PERFORMING TOUCH & GO LANDINGS AT HIS PRIVATE AIRSTRIP (LOCATED ON A HILL) APPROX. 8 MILES NORTHWEST OF ATCHISNSON, KS. ON HIS LAST TOUCH & GO THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A SMALL TREE ( APPROX. 4'-5' TALL) ON THE SOUTHEAST END OF THE LANDING STRIP. THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO HAVE VEERED OFF TO THE LEFT, OVER AN OPEN FIELD, & IMPACTED INTO A WOODED AREA APPROX. 1/4 OF A MILE FROM THE INITIAL IMPACT. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. IT APPEARED THAT THE ENGINE WAS NOT MAKING POWER WHEN IT CONTACTED THE GROUND. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO REMOVE HIMSELF FROM THE WRECKAGE AND MOVE TO AN OPEN FIELD OUTSIDE THE WOODED AREA. THE PILOT WAS AIRLIFTED BY LIFENET TO HEARTLAND EAST HOSPITAL IN ST. JOE, MO WITH SERIOUS INJURIES. (.4) THE PILOT OF THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE SAID THAT HE HAD FLOWN AROUND THE LOCAL AREA AND WAS RETURNING TO HIS PRIVATE AIRPORT FOR TWO OR THREE TOUCH AND GOES. ON HIS LAST APPROACH HE SAID THAT HE MADE A L ONG GLIDING DECENT WITH THE AIRPLANE TO THE RUNWAY, THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN, HE APPLIED POWER, THE AIRPLANE ROSE TO APPROXIMATELY 25 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL, AND THE AIRPLANE LOST ENGINE POWER. HE STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE SETTLED, IMPACTED TREES, AND CAME TO REST IMPACTING TERRAIN 200 FEET LOWER IN ELEVATION THAN THE RUNWAY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.