What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 04/19/2011, at 1900EDT, N18WY, an Aviat-1C-180, registered to overfield LLC, made contact with standing water while making an approach to an area of mowed grass adjacent to runway 18 at Greensburg Municipal Airport (I34), Greensburg, IN. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time. The aircraft remained in the local traffic pattern and no flight plan was filed. The pilot stated that the engine was not producing normal power on downwind and he suspected carburetor icing. The temperature/dew point at the time of the accident was conducive for carburetor icing. He stated that he decided to make a short approach to the runway and upon being high and fast, transitioned to a grassy area along the runway. The aircraft touched down short of the intended point of landing and contacted standing water. The standing water was the result of rain showers in the area prior to the accident. The aircraft was equipped with 'tundra tires' which, upon contact with the water, produced a rapid deceleration and pitching moment which caused the aircraft to impact on the nose and come to rest inverted in about 5 inches of standing water. The PIC, who holds private pilot (asel/ases) certificate 3305042, was uninjured at impact, but suffered a head laceration when exiting the aircraft. The aircraft sustained substantial damage with possible forward spar damage, wing strut failure, engine fairing damage and engine mount damage.
As the FAA filed it
ON 04/19/2011, AT 1900EDT, N18WY, AN AVIAT-1C-180, REGISTERED TO OVERFIELD LLC, MADE CONTACT WITH STANDING WATER WHILE MAKING AN APPROACH TO AN AREA OF MOWED GRASS ADJACENT TO RUNWAY 18 AT GREENSBURG MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (I34), GREENSBURG, IN. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME. THE AIRCRAFT REMAINED IN THE LOCAL TRAFFIC PATTERN AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE ENGINE WAS NOT PRODUCING NORMAL POWER ON DOWNWIND AND HE SUSPECTED CARBURETOR ICING. THE TEMPERATURE/DEW POINT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS CONDUCIVE FOR CARBURETOR ICING. HE STATED THAT HE DECIDED TO MAKE A SHORT APPROACH TO THE RUNWAY AND UPON BEING HIGH AND FAST, TRANSITIONED TO A GRASSY AREA ALONG THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN SHORT OF THE INTENDED POINT OF LANDING AND CONTACTED STANDING WATER. THE STANDING WATER WAS THE RESULT OF RAIN SHOWERS IN THE AREA PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS EQUIPPED WITH 'TUNDRA TIRES' WHICH, UPON CONTACT WITH THE WATER, PRODUCED A RAPID DECELERATION AND PITCHING MOMENT WHICH CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO IMPACT ON THE NOSE AND COME TO REST INVERTED IN ABOUT 5 INCHES OF STANDING WATER.THE PIC, WHO HOLDS PRIVATE PILOT (ASEL/ASES) CERTIFICATE 3305042, WAS UNINJURED AT IMPACT, BUT SUFFERED A HEAD LACERATION WHEN EXITING THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WITH POSSIBLE FORWARD SPAR DAMAGE, WING STRUT FAILURE, ENGINE FAIRING DAMAGE AND ENGINE MOUNT DAMAGE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.