What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The aircraft wreckage was examined at the romeo airport maintenance hangar on 1/4/07. Flight control continuity could not be established due to separation of both wings and the empennage from the fuselage during the crash sequence. The rudder, vertical stabilizer, and stabilator had separated from the empennage, and the rudder had separated from the vertical stabilizer. The engine and propeller came to rest approximately 100 feet from the rest of the aircraft. It appeared that the engine impacted and bounced off several trees during the impact sequence, as there was wood embedded in several places. With the exception of the engine driven fuel pump and propeller governor, all other engine accessories had separated as the engine fell to earth and tumbled through the trees. Fuel was found in both the engine driven fuel pump and flow divider, and an examination of the propeller showed bending and twisting of all three blades, and two blades were twisted in the hub. This would be consistent with impact occurring with the engine operating and producing power. Inspection of the oil suction screen and oil sump showed these areas clean of debris. The fuel injector servo inlet screen was clean. We were unable to rotate the crankshaft, due to severe impact damage to the engine. However, the engine crankshaft and camshaft were inspected by use of a flexible light scope in the accessory gearbox area, as well as through the case where large pieces of the case were missing. These areas appeared to be in good condition. Voice communication tapes were provided by selfridge ANG ATC. These tapes were routine communication, addressing current barometric readings at selfridge, and at no time did the pilot indicate any problems, mechanical or weather related. Radar route information was not available from selfridge, so I requested ATC accident package from dtw ATC, but have not received it at this time. Two passengers onboard the aircraft were interviewed by macomb county sheriff deputies immediately after the crash. Both stated that the flight had been smooth, the pilot had said nothing or given any indications of problems, and they both thought they were landing at the airport until they hit the trees.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE WAS EXAMINED AT THE ROMEO AIRPORT MAINTENANCE HANGAR ON 1/4/07. FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY COULD NOT BE ESTABLISHED DUE TO SEPARATION OF BOTH WINGS AND THE EMPENNAGE FROM THE FUSELAGE DURING THE CRASH SEQUENCE. THE RUDDER, VERTICAL STABILIZER, AND STABILATOR HAD SEPARATED FROM THE EMPENNAGE, AND THE RUDDER HAD SEPARATED FROM THE VERTICAL STABILIZER. THE ENGINE AND PROPELLER CAME TO REST APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET FROM THE REST OF THE AIRCRAFT. IT APPEARED THAT THE ENGINE IMPACTED AND BOUNCED OFF SEVERAL TREES DURING THE IMPACT SEQUENCE, AS THERE WAS WOOD EMBEDDED IN SEVERAL PLACES. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE ENGINE DRIVEN FUEL PUMP AND PROPELLER GOVERNOR, ALL OTHER ENGINE ACCESSORIES HAD SEPARATED AS THE ENGINE FELL TO EARTH AND TUMBLED THROUGH THE TREES. FUEL WAS FOUND IN BOTH THE ENGINE DRIVEN FUEL PUMP AND FLOW DIVIDER, AND AN EXAMINATION OF THE PROPELLER SHOWED BENDING AND TWISTING OF ALL THREE BLADES, AND TWO BLADES WERE TWISTED IN THE HUB. THIS WOULD BE CONSISTENT WITH IMPACT OCCURRING WITH THE ENGINE OPERATING AND PRODUCING POWER. INSPECTION OF THE OIL SUCTION SCREEN AND OIL SUMP SHOWED THESE AREAS CLEAN OF DEBRIS. THE FUEL INJECTOR SERVO INLET SCREEN WAS CLEAN. WE WERE UNABLE TO ROTATE THE CRANKSHAFT, DUE TO SEVERE IMPACT DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE. HOWEVER, THE ENGINE CRANKSHAFT AND CAMSHAFT WERE INSPECTED BY USE OF A FLEXIBLE LIGHT SCOPE IN THE ACCESSORY GEARBOX AREA, AS WELL AS THROUGH THE CASE WHERE LARGE PIECES OF THE CASE WERE MISSING. THESE AREAS APPEARED TO BE IN GOOD CONDITION. VOICE COMMUNICATION TAPES WERE PROVIDED BY SELFRIDGE ANG ATC. THESE TAPES WERE ROUTINE COMMUNICATION, ADDRESSING CURRENT BAROMETRIC READINGS AT SELFRIDGE, AND AT NO TIME DID THE PILOT INDICATE ANY PROBLEMS, MECHANICAL OR WEATHER RELATED. RADAR ROUTE INFORMATION WAS NOT AVAILABLE FROM SELFRIDGE, SO I REQUESTED ATC ACCIDENT PACKAGE FROM DTW ATC, BUT HAVE NOT RECEIVED IT AT THIS TIME. TWO PASSENGERS ONBOARD THE AIRCRAFT WERE INTERVIEWED BY MACOMB COUNTY SHERIFF DEPUTIES IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE CRASH. BOTH STATED THAT THE FLIGHT HAD BEEN SMOOTH, THE PILOT HAD SAID NOTHING OR GIVEN ANY INDICATIONS OF PROBLEMS, AND THEY BOTH THOUGHT THEY WERE LANDING AT THE AIRPORT UNTIL THEY HIT THE TREES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.