What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft engine failed on landing and the acft struck a tree during an attempted forced landing in a nearby field, other circumstances are unknown. (From .19) on April 11, 1999, at 1615 central daylight time, a davis/cleaver renegade 2 homebuilt experimental airplane, N2186B, was substantially damaged when it impacted trees and terrain during a forced landing following a loss of engine power near port allen, Louisiana. The private pilot, sole occupant, received minor injuries. The pilot and another private individual were the builders and owners of the biplane. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed for the title 14 code of federal regulations (CFR) part 91 personal local flight, which originated 20 minutes prior to the accident. According to FAA inspectors, the airplane was turning on to final approach for a private grass strip, when the engine lost power. The pilot tried to avoid a residential area by flying toward an open area along the final approach path. During the approach the airplane clipped a pecan tree resulting in the aircraft spinning around and impacting the ground in a nose low attitude. Witnesses to the accident helped the pil ot out of rear seat of the tandem seat airplane. According to an FAA inspector the engine forward of the firewall was buried in dirt. The front cockpit area was heavily damaged. The left wings were crushed aft approximately 12 inches and the right wings sustained little damage. The FAA inspector confirmed flight control continuity at the accident sight along with the presence of fuel in the tanks. (-23) pilot on long base leg to omni airport (LA46) approx. 1 mile from final, at an altitiude between 600-800 feet. Engine began to lose power. Pilot tried to adjust throttle with no charge. Engine failed shortly afterwards. Pilot set up approach to open field, but contacted tree tops. A/c spun around and contacted ground, nose down approx. 31 feet from tree line with engine and propeller buried in the dirt. Pilot shut off fuel at wing valves prior to exiting. Pilot take to local hospital with minor injuries and for observation due to age. Aircraft based at omni (LA46) pilot stated he refueled prior to departure, flew locally for approx. 20 minutes prior to accident
As the FAA filed it
ACFT ENGINE FAILED ON LANDING AND THE ACFT STRUCK A TREE DURING AN ATTEMPTED FORCED LANDING IN A NEARBY FIELD, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (FROM .19) ON APRIL 11, 1999, AT 1615 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A DAVIS/CLEAVER RENEGADE 2 HOMEBUILT EXPERIMENTAL AIRPLANE, N2186B, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT IMPACTED TREES AND TERRAIN DURING A FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER NEAR PORT ALLEN, LOUISIANA. THE PRIVATE PILOT, SOLE OCCUPANT, RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. THE PILOT AND ANOTHER PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL WERE THE BUILDERS AND OWNERS OF THE BIPLANE. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91 PERSONAL LOCAL FLIGHT, WHICH ORIGINATED 20 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO FAA INSPECTORS, THE AIRPLANE WAS TURNING ON TO FINAL APPROACH FOR A PRIVATE GRASS STRIP, WHEN THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THE PILOT TRIED TO AVOID A RESIDENTIAL AREA BY FLYING TOWARD AN OPEN AREA ALONG THE FINAL APPROACH PATH. DURING THE APPROACH THE AIRPLANE CLIPPED A PECAN TREE RESULTING IN THE AIRCRAFT SPINNING AROUND AND IMPACTING THE GROUND IN A NOSE LOW ATTITUDE. WITNESSES TO THE ACCIDENT HELPED THE PIL OT OUT OF REAR SEAT OF THE TANDEM SEAT AIRPLANE. ACCORDING TO AN FAA INSPECTOR THE ENGINE FORWARD OF THE FIREWALL WAS BURIED IN DIRT. THE FRONT COCKPIT AREA WAS HEAVILY DAMAGED. THE LEFT WINGS WERE CRUSHED AFT APPROXIMATELY 12 INCHES AND THE RIGHT WINGS SUSTAINED LITTLE DAMAGE. THE FAA INSPECTOR CONFIRMED FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY AT THE ACCIDENT SIGHT ALONG WITH THE PRESENCE OF FUEL IN THE TANKS. (-23) PILOT ON LONG BASE LEG TO OMNI AIRPORT (LA46) APPROX. 1 MILE FROM FINAL, AT AN ALTITIUDE BETWEEN 600-800 FEET. ENGINE BEGAN TO LOSE POWER. PILOT TRIED TO ADJUST THROTTLE WITH NO CHARGE. ENGINE FAILED SHORTLY AFTERWARDS. PILOT SET UP APPROACH TO OPEN FIELD, BUT CONTACTED TREE TOPS. A/C SPUN AROUND AND CONTACTED GROUND, NOSE DOWN APPROX. 31 FEET FROM TREE LINE WITH ENGINE AND PROPELLER BURIED IN THE DIRT. PILOT SHUT OFF FUEL AT WING VALVES PRIOR TO EXITING. PILOT TAKE TO LOCAL HOSPITAL WITH MINOR INJURIES AND FOR OBSERVATION DUE TO AGE. AIRCRAFT BASED AT OMNI (LA46) PILOT STATED HE REFUELED PRIOR TO DEPARTURE, FLEW LOCALLY FOR APPROX. 20 MINUTES PRIOR TO ACCIDENT
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.