What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot was attending annual summer fun fly-in at a small airport located at the intersection of duffield and reid road, gaines township. The pilot and passenger were dropping candy from the aircraft to a target on the ground. The first drop went okay. The second drop, the candy went through the propeller and splintered it. The aircraft crashed at the end of the runway. The pilot suffered serious injuries and the passenger minor injuries. Review of aircraft records shows aircraft to conform to regulations. (.19) on July 14, 2001, at 1331 eastern daylight time, a laporte quicksilver, N4416Y, operated a private pilot collided with the terrain while maneuvering over a field in duffield, Michigan. The pilot was dropping candy from the airplane to a group of people on the ground. During the second drop, the candy flew back into the propeller, which resulted in it failing. The airplane then descended into a field and was substantially damaged upon impacting the terrain. The pilot received serious injuries and the passenger received minor injuries. The 14 CFR part 91 personal flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. The flight originated from a field in duffield, Michigan, just prior to the accident.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT WAS ATTENDING ANNUAL SUMMER FUN FLY-IN AT A SMALL AIRPORT LOCATED AT THE INTERSECTION OF DUFFIELD AND REID ROAD, GAINES TOWNSHIP. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE DROPPING CANDY FROM THE AIRCRAFT TO A TARGET ON THE GROUND. THE FIRST DROP WENT OKAY. THE SECOND DROP, THE CANDY WENT THROUGH THE PROPELLER AND SPLINTERED IT. THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT SUFFERED SERIOUS INJURIES AND THE PASSENGER MINOR INJURIES. REVIEW OF AIRCRAFT RECORDS SHOWS AIRCRAFT TO CONFORM TO REGULATIONS. (.19) ON JULY 14, 2001, AT 1331 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A LAPORTE QUICKSILVER, N4416Y, OPERATED A PRIVATE PILOT COLLIDED WITH THE TERRAIN WHILE MANEUVERING OVER A FIELD IN DUFFIELD, MICHIGAN. THE PILOT WAS DROPPING CANDY FROM THE AIRPLANE TO A GROUP OF PEOPLE ON THE GROUND. DURING THE SECOND DROP, THE CANDY FLEW BACK INTO THE PROPELLER, WHICH RESULTED IN IT FAILING. THE AIRPLANE THEN DESCENDED INTO A FIELD AND WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED UPON IMPACTING THE TERRAIN. THE PILOT RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES AND THE PASSENGER RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. THE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS OPERATING IN VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS WITHOUT A FLIGHT PLAN. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM A FIELD IN DUFFIELD, MICHIGAN, JUST PRIOR TO THE 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.