What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 7/16/2011, approx.1900 local time was to be the maiden flight of the experimental home built volksplane, N341MD. The aircraft was built in 2008 and issued its airworthiness certificate on 09/09/2008. The engine installed on the aircraft was a four cylinder volkswagen conversion. The engine utilized a distributer and was converted to twin carburetors. Airframe time was 0.0, hobbs time 9.2 hrs. The pilot, privacy data omitted (0 hrs. Time make/ model), volunteered to fly the aircraft for the builder, privacy data omitted. The pilot obtained the weather from the local ATIS and ASOS only. The ATIS recording did not indicate density altitude. Weather at the time of the accident was VMC, with a density altitude of 2800'. Field elevation at kjax 1001'.prior to take off, a static run up of 3300 RPM was attained. All aircraft systems checked good. The aircraft was cleared for take off on runway 32 (4000') for one trip in the pattern at kjxn. After take off, the pilot stated he was working a lateral stability issue (a heavy left wing). He stated that the aircraft took over 2000' to take off. After clearing the runway, the pilot noticed a slight drop in RPM while at full throttle and was still dealing with the heavy left wing while attempting to fly the traffic pattern. Climb speed was approx. 45 KTS. The pilot leveled off (300 – 400') and tried to turn left and make an approach to runway 06. The pilot realized that he would not make the airport, saw an opening in the tress and made the emergency landing. The aircraft impacted in the back yard of the residence at privacy data omitted approx. 1 mile short of runway 06. The aircraft impacted on the front quartering right side (effecting the gear, propeller and right wing), bouncing and turning to the right and hitting a shed with the left wing and horizontal stabilizer. The aircraft came to rest, facing west. There was no post crash fire. Emergency personnel shut off the fuel and disconnected the battery. The engine appeared to be running at the time of impact. The pilot suffered head lacerations (requiring 6 stitches) and bruising and lacerations on the right elbow and knee. He had to be extracted from the aircraft by emergency personnel. He was transported to a local hospital, then to another trauma facility. He was treated and released the following morning (approx 8 hrs. Later). The pilot gave Michigan state police officers an interview after the accident, but when interviewed by FAA inspectors, 5 days later, he has little memory after the impact until he awoke in the ambulance and then in the hospital.
As the FAA filed it
ON 7/16/2011, APPROX.1900 LOCAL TIME WAS TO BE THE MAIDEN FLIGHT OF THE EXPERIMENTAL HOME BUILT VOLKSPLANE, N341MD. THE AIRCRAFT WAS BUILT IN 2008 AND ISSUED ITS AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE ON 09/09/2008. THE ENGINE INSTALLED ON THE AIRCRAFT WAS A FOUR CYLINDER VOLKSWAGEN CONVERSION. THE ENGINE UTILIZED A DISTRIBUTER AND WAS CONVERTED TO TWIN CARBURETORS. AIRFRAME TIME WAS 0.0, HOBBS TIME 9.2 HRS.THE PILOT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ (0 HRS. TIME MAKE/ MODEL), VOLUNTEERED TO FLY THE AIRCRAFT FOR THE BUILDER, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE PILOT OBTAINED THE WEATHER FROM THE LOCAL ATIS AND ASOS ONLY. THE ATIS RECORDING DID NOT INDICATE DENSITY ALTITUDE. WEATHER AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS VMC, WITH A DENSITY ALTITUDE OF 2800'. FIELD ELEVATION AT KJAX 1001'.PRIOR TO TAKE OFF, A STATIC RUN UP OF 3300 RPM WAS ATTAINED. ALL AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS CHECKED GOOD. THE AIRCRAFT WAS CLEARED FOR TAKE OFF ON RUNWAY 32 (4000') FOR ONE TRIP IN THE PATTERN AT KJXN. AFTER TAKE OFF, THE PILOT STATED HE WAS WORKING A LATERAL STABILITY ISSUE (A HEAVY LEFT WING). HE STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT TOOK OVER 2000' TO TAKE OFF. AFTER CLEARING THE RUNWAY, THE PILOT NOTICED A SLIGHT DROP IN RPM WHILE AT FULL THROTTLE AND WAS STILL DEALING WITH THE HEAVY LEFT WING WHILE ATTEMPTING TO FLY THE TRAFFIC PATTERN. CLIMB SPEED WAS APPROX. 45 KTS. THE PILOT LEVELED OFF (300 – 400') AND TRIED TO TURN LEFT AND MAKE AN APPROACH TO RUNWAY 06. THE PILOT REALIZED THAT HE WOULD NOT MAKE THE AIRPORT, SAW AN OPENING IN THE TRESS AND MADE THE EMERGENCY LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED IN THE BACK YARD OF THE RESIDENCE AT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ APPROX. 1 MILE SHORT OF RUNWAY 06. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED ON THE FRONT QUARTERING RIGHT SIDE (EFFECTING THE GEAR, PROPELLER AND RIGHT WING), BOUNCING AND TURNING TO THE RIGHT AND HITTING A SHED WITH THE LEFT WING AND HORIZONTAL STABILIZER. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST, FACING WEST. THERE WAS NO POST CRASH FIRE. EMERGENCY PERSONNEL SHUT OFF THE FUEL AND DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY. THE ENGINE APPEARED TO BE RUNNING AT THE TIME OF IMPACT. THE PILOT SUFFERED HEAD LACERATIONS (REQUIRING 6 STITCHES) AND BRUISING AND LACERATIONS ON THE RIGHT ELBOW AND KNEE. HE HAD TO BE EXTRACTED FROM THE AIRCRAFT BY EMERGENCY PERSONNEL. HE WAS TRANSPORTED TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL, THEN TO ANOTHER TRAUMA FACILITY. HE WAS TREATED AND RELEASED THE FOLLOWING MORNING (APPROX 8 HRS. LATER). THE PILOT GAVE MICHIGAN STATE POLICE OFFICERS AN INTERVIEW AFTER THE ACCIDENT, BUT WHEN INTERVIEWED BY FAA INSPECTORS, 5 DAYS LATER, HE HAS LITTLE MEMORY AFTER THE IMPACT UNTIL HE AWOKE IN THE AMBULANCE AND THEN IN THE HOSPITAL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.