What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On a flight from noth platte, NE, to Iowa city, IA, (487 statute miles) the aircraft lost power near Grinnell, IA, which is approximately 65 statute miles short of the destination. During the attempted forced landing, witnesses saw the aircraft pitch up just prior to hitting the ground. The aircraft was destroyed upon impact. Corrosion was found in the gear/tail area. Investigation revealed that during flights from Washington state to Iowa, the pilot was having fuel system problems which included fuel leaks in the right sponson, engine driven fuel pump problems, transfer pumps from the right sponson intermittent, fuel pick-up line not connected in the left sponson (even though fuel was in the left sponson), and problems with the cabin heater, which was not working. The aircraft departed that morning from rawlings, WY (8 a.m. mt) stopped at north platte for fuel, and continued on. The temperature that day was near 0 degrees fahrenheit with a strong northwest wind. The crew did not have winter gear on, they were wearing layered clothing. The previous flight lengths prior to the accident were: twin falls, id to rawlings, WY, 380 statute miles, rawlings, WY to north platte, NE, 340 statute miles. No evidence of fuel could be found or was observed at the accident site. Fuel system malfunction or depletion may explain the cause of the engine stopping. The failed attempt at the off-airport landing may be explained by the following: the aircraft was flying approximately 300-500 feet above the ground with approximately a thirty knot tailwind, rendering a high groundspeed. The aircraft controls had to be robustly moved and a steep descent entered to make the chosen landing spot, which was 90 degrees to the right of the flight path. (This was demonstrated by an inspector in a Cessna 172 for investigative purposes). The aircraft pitched up (as seen by witnesses) just prior to impacting the ground. Investigation revealed salt water corrosion and some dry-rotting around the rear steel keel support. The corroded keel support was under the gear support tube and aft. This aft portion is where the tail connected to the aircraft. Given the struture corrosion, the thin fiberglass tail assembly and the frigid temperature that day, it could be reasonable that when the abrupt movement was attempted to stop the descent, the aircraft momentarily pitched up until the tail assembly support gave away and the aircraft nosed over hard into the ground. See attached photos of the corrosion and photo of the aircraft prior to departing Washington. The narrow tail boom can be noted in this photo. Also included is a photo of the propeller that was found approximately 200 feet from the impact site. It was determined that the blade broke during impact.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON A FLIGHT FROM NOTH PLATTE, NE, TO IOWA CITY, IA, (487 STATUTE MILES) THE AIRCRAFT LOST POWER NEAR GRINNELL, IA, WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY 65 STATUTE MILES SHORT OF THE DESTINATION. DURING THE ATTEMPTED FORCED LANDING, WITNESSES SAW THE AIRCRAFT PITCH UP JUST PRIOR TO HITTING THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED UPON IMPACT. CORROSION WAS FOUND IN THE GEAR/TAIL AREA. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT DURING FLIGHTS FROM WASHINGTON STATE TO IOWA, THE PILOT WAS HAVING FUEL SYSTEM PROBLEMS WHICH INCLUDED FUEL LEAKS IN THE RIGHT SPONSON, ENGINE DRIVEN FUEL PUMP PROBLEMS, TRANSFER PUMPS FROM THE RIGHT SPONSON INTERMITTENT, FUEL PICK-UP LINE NOT CONNECTED IN THE LEFT SPONSON (EVEN THOUGH FUEL WAS IN THE LEFT SPONSON), AND PROBLEMS WITH THE CABIN HEATER, WHICH WAS NOT WORKING. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THAT MORNING FROM RAWLINGS, WY (8 A.M. MT) STOPPED AT NORTH PLATTE FOR FUEL, AND CONTINUED ON. THE TEMPERATURE THAT DAY WAS NEAR 0 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT WITH A STRONG NORTHWEST WIND. THE CREW DID NOT HAVE WINTER GEAR ON, THEY WERE WEARING LAYERED CLOTHING. THE PREVIOUS FLIGHT LENGTHS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: TWIN FALLS, ID TO RAWLINGS, WY, 380 STATUTE MILES, RAWLINGS, WY TO NORTH PLATTE, NE, 340 STATUTE MILES. NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL COULD BE FOUND OR WAS OBSERVED AT THE ACCIDENT SITE. FUEL SYSTEM MALFUNCTION OR DEPLETION MAY EXPLAIN THE CAUSE OF THE ENGINE STOPPING. THE FAILED ATTEMPT AT THE OFF-AIRPORT LANDING MAY BE EXPLAINED BY THE FOLLOWING: THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLYING APPROXIMATELY 300-500 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND WITH APPROXIMATELY A THIRTY KNOT TAILWIND, RENDERING A HIGH GROUNDSPEED. THE AIRCRAFT CONTROLS HAD TO BE ROBUSTLY MOVED AND A STEEP DESCENT ENTERED TO MAKE THE CHOSEN LANDING SPOT, WHICH WAS 90 DEGREES TO THE RIGHT OF THE FLIGHT PATH. (THIS WAS DEMONSTRATED BY AN INSPECTOR IN A CESSNA 172 FOR INVESTIGATIVE PURPOSES). THE AIRCRAFT PITCHED UP (AS SEEN BY WITNESSES) JUST PRIOR TO IMPACTING THE GROUND. INVESTIGATION REVEALED SALT WATER CORROSION AND SOME DRY-ROTTING AROUND THE REAR STEEL KEEL SUPPORT. THE CORRODED KEEL SUPPORT WAS UNDER THE GEAR SUPPORT TUBE AND AFT. THIS AFT PORTION IS WHERE THE TAIL CONNECTED TO THE AIRCRAFT. GIVEN THE STRUTURE CORROSION, THE THIN FIBERGLASS TAIL ASSEMBLY AND THE FRIGID TEMPERATURE THAT DAY, IT COULD BE REASONABLE THAT WHEN THE ABRUPT MOVEMENT WAS ATTEMPTED TO STOP THE DESCENT, THE AIRCRAFT MOMENTARILY PITCHED UP UNTIL THE TAIL ASSEMBLY SUPPORT GAVE AWAY AND THE AIRCRAFT NOSED OVER HARD INTO THE GROUND. SEE ATTACHED PHOTOS OF THE CORROSION AND PHOTO OF THE AIRCRAFT PRIOR TO DEPARTING WASHINGTON. THE NARROW TAIL BOOM CAN BE NOTED IN THIS PHOTO. ALSO INCLUDED IS A PHOTO OF THE PROPELLER THAT WAS FOUND APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET FROM THE IMPACT SITE. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE BLADE BROKE DURING IMPACT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.