What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The accident occurred on December 28, 2011 at 1600 local 911 dispatchers received several call reporting aircraft crash, the plane is located in the back yard next to a barn at privacy data omitted, Lebanon, Ohio. The aircraft was substantially damaged and the pilot and three passengers were injured, 3 minor 1 major. The local FAA FSDO was notified approximately 1645 local through the roc. The pilot reported that the cabin door had popped open during flight and he attempted to land. On pull out of the attempted landing the engine suddenly quit, he attempted to restart the engine one time unsuccessfully, he then attempted an emergency landing. During an emergency landing the aircrafts left wing struck a tree, removing approximately 3 feet of the wing tip and most of the aileron. It then traveled through a set of power lines hitting two more trees, at which time the left main landing gear (MLG) broke off the aircraft. The aircraft then impacted the ground at a high angle and low velocity flipping over on its top, during which the left wing departed the aircraft. The main wreckage was located in one central location with a debris field from the tree impact to the wreckage. There was fire and smoke damage to the right wing and fuselage. The engine and propeller were intact but sustained some damage. The aircraft flight controls were checked for cable continuity, all cables to the flight controls were intact from the pilot controls to the control surface. Except the left wing which had departed the aircraft on impact, the aileron controls gables however were still attached to the control arms. The engine was mainly intact and still attached to the aircraft. The carburetor was broken off the engine at the mounts, but the control cables were still attached. The starter/generator was broken from the engine at the mounts, it was not tested. All cylinders were still attached to the case, each piston moved when the crank shaft was rotated and there was some compression in each cylinder. A check of the following components showed no remarkable findings; dry air pump, both left and right magnetos, engine driven fuel pump, electric boost pump. The fuel selector was found in a partially off position (between the right tank and off position). A teardown of the valve showed that the valve was very dirty inside and the detent ring was worn. The propeller had one blade bent at the hub and there were no signs of rotational scaring on the blades. At the time of the accident the weather was overcast with a ceiling of about 11000 feet, 10 mile visability and winds 270 at 7 mph.
As the FAA filed it
THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED ON DECEMBER 28, 2011 AT 1600 LOCAL 911 DISPATCHERS RECEIVED SEVERAL CALL REPORTING AIRCRAFT CRASH, THE PLANE IS LOCATED IN THE BACK YARD NEXT TO A BARN AT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, LEBANON, OHIO. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AND THE PILOT AND THREE PASSENGERS WERE INJURED, 3 MINOR 1 MAJOR. THE LOCAL FAA FSDO WAS NOTIFIED APPROXIMATELY 1645 LOCAL THROUGH THE ROC.THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE CABIN DOOR HAD POPPED OPEN DURING FLIGHT AND HE ATTEMPTED TO LAND. ON PULL OUT OF THE ATTEMPTED LANDING THE ENGINE SUDDENLY QUIT, HE ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE ENGINE ONE TIME UNSUCCESSFULLY, HE THEN ATTEMPTED AN EMERGENCY LANDING. DURING AN EMERGENCY LANDING THE AIRCRAFTS LEFT WING STRUCK A TREE, REMOVING APPROXIMATELY 3 FEET OF THE WING TIP AND MOST OF THE AILERON. IT THEN TRAVELED THROUGH A SET OF POWER LINES HITTING TWO MORE TREES, AT WHICH TIME THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR (MLG) BROKE OFF THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT THEN IMPACTED THE GROUND AT A HIGH ANGLE AND LOW VELOCITY FLIPPING OVER ON ITS TOP, DURING WHICH THE LEFT WING DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT. THE MAIN WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED IN ONE CENTRAL LOCATION WITH A DEBRIS FIELD FROM THE TREE IMPACT TO THE WRECKAGE. THERE WAS FIRE AND SMOKE DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT WING AND FUSELAGE. THE ENGINE AND PROPELLER WERE INTACT BUT SUSTAINED SOME DAMAGE. THE AIRCRAFT FLIGHT CONTROLS WERE CHECKED FOR CABLE CONTINUITY, ALL CABLES TO THE FLIGHT CONTROLS WERE INTACT FROM THE PILOT CONTROLS TO THE CONTROL SURFACE. EXCEPT THE LEFT WING WHICH HAD DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT ON IMPACT, THE AILERON CONTROLS GABLES HOWEVER WERE STILL ATTACHED TO THE CONTROL ARMS. THE ENGINE WAS MAINLY INTACT AND STILL ATTACHED TO THE AIRCRAFT. THE CARBURETOR WAS BROKEN OFF THE ENGINE AT THE MOUNTS, BUT THE CONTROL CABLES WERE STILL ATTACHED. THE STARTER/GENERATOR WAS BROKEN FROM THE ENGINE AT THE MOUNTS, IT WAS NOT TESTED. ALL CYLINDERS WERE STILL ATTACHED TO THE CASE, EACH PISTON MOVED WHEN THE CRANK SHAFT WAS ROTATED AND THERE WAS SOME COMPRESSION IN EACH CYLINDER. A CHECK OF THE FOLLOWING COMPONENTS SHOWED NO REMARKABLE FINDINGS; DRY AIR PUMP, BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT MAGNETOS, ENGINE DRIVEN FUEL PUMP, ELECTRIC BOOST PUMP. THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS FOUND IN A PARTIALLY OFF POSITION (BETWEEN THE RIGHT TANK AND OFF POSITION). A TEARDOWN OF THE VALVE SHOWED THAT THE VALVE WAS VERY DIRTY INSIDE AND THE DETENT RING WAS WORN. THE PROPELLER HAD ONE BLADE BENT AT THE HUB AND THERE WERE NO SIGNS OF ROTATIONAL SCARING ON THE BLADES. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT THE WEATHER WAS OVERCAST WITH A CEILING OF ABOUT 11000 FEET, 10 MILE VISABILITY AND WINDS 270 AT 7 MPH.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.