What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Witness reported seeing aircraft traveling west and heard the engine "sputtering". The aircraft then make a "sharp left turn" heading south and the engine was still "sputtering". The landing gear was lowered then the aircraft made a sharp left turn towards the east and went "nose first" into the ground.
Another witness reported seeing the aircraft with the prop turning slow "rapidly descending" with a sharp left bank.
Examination of the accident path revealed that the aircraft impacted the field on an easterly heading, main wheels were 10' 4" apart, tire impact marks were approximately 3- 4" deep, both main gears left marks for approximately 19'.
The nose gear appears to have collapsed on impact and the engine cowl made a "trench" upon the collapse 24" wide that started out 7" deep and ended up 11" deep. The nose then came up and the aircraft turned about 30 degrees to the right. The main gears skidded in a right turn 5' 10" to a stop. The nose fell and created a "divot" approximately 11" deep 15' away from the previous impact mark.
Inspection of the aircraft on scene found no fuel in the right wing tank. The left wing tank was leaking from a broken fuel line when the first reponders arrived. An undetermined amount of fuel leaked prior to the fire department arrival. On-scene fire personnel placed a catch bucket under the leak and contained approximatley 2 - 3 gallons of fuel. Approximatley 2 gallons of 100LL fuel was recovered from the left wing tank at the accident scene.
At the scene the fuel selector was found in the on position, throttle was full open, mixture was towards the lean position, prop control was in an intermediate position and the carburetor heat control was in the on position.
The landing gear was down and locked as indicated by the position indicating rods although the nose gear collapsed.
The flaps were up and the flap handle was in the up position.
Weather at kfnt, 10 nautical miles at 153 degrees from the accident location
20 Minutes prior to the accident was - kfnt 191753Z 08010KT 10SM clr 12/M01 A3043
As the FAA filed it
WITNESS REPORTED SEEING AIRCRAFT TRAVELING WEST AND HEARD THE ENGINE "SPUTTERING". THE AIRCRAFT THEN MAKE A "SHARP LEFT TURN" HEADING SOUTH AND THE ENGINE WAS STILL "SPUTTERING". THE LANDING GEAR WAS LOWERED THEN THE AIRCRAFT MADE A SHARP LEFT TURN TOWARDS THE EAST AND WENT "NOSE FIRST" INTO THE GROUND.
ANOTHER WITNESS REPORTED SEEING THE AIRCRAFT WITH THE PROP TURNING SLOW "RAPIDLY DESCENDING" WITH A SHARP LEFT BANK.
EXAMINATION OF THE ACCIDENT PATH REVEALED THAT THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE FIELD ON AN EASTERLY HEADING, MAIN WHEELS WERE 10' 4" APART, TIRE IMPACT MARKS WERE APPROXIMATELY 3- 4" DEEP, BOTH MAIN GEARS LEFT MARKS FOR APPROXIMATELY 19'.
THE NOSE GEAR APPEARS TO HAVE COLLAPSED ON IMPACT AND THE ENGINE COWL MADE A "TRENCH" UPON THE COLLAPSE 24" WIDE THAT STARTED OUT 7" DEEP AND ENDED UP 11" DEEP. THE NOSE THEN CAME UP AND THE AIRCRAFT TURNED ABOUT 30 DEGREES TO THE RIGHT. THE MAIN GEARS SKIDDED IN A RIGHT TURN 5' 10" TO A STOP. THE NOSE FELL AND CREATED A "DIVOT" APPROXIMATELY 11" DEEP 15' AWAY FROM THE PREVIOUS IMPACT MARK.
INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT ON SCENE FOUND NO FUEL IN THE RIGHT WING TANK. THE LEFT WING TANK WAS LEAKING FROM A BROKEN FUEL LINE WHEN THE FIRST REPONDERS ARRIVED. AN UNDETERMINED AMOUNT OF FUEL LEAKED PRIOR TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVAL. ON-SCENE FIRE PERSONNEL PLACED A CATCH BUCKET UNDER THE LEAK AND CONTAINED APPROXIMATLEY 2 - 3 GALLONS OF FUEL. APPROXIMATLEY 2 GALLONS OF 100LL FUEL WAS RECOVERED FROM THE LEFT WING TANK AT THE ACCIDENT SCENE.
AT THE SCENE THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS FOUND IN THE ON POSITION, THROTTLE WAS FULL OPEN, MIXTURE WAS TOWARDS THE LEAN POSITION, PROP CONTROL WAS IN AN INTERMEDIATE POSITION AND THE CARBURETOR HEAT CONTROL WAS IN THE ON POSITION.
THE LANDING GEAR WAS DOWN AND LOCKED AS INDICATED BY THE POSITION INDICATING RODS ALTHOUGH THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED.
THE FLAPS WERE UP AND THE FLAP HANDLE WAS IN THE UP POSITION.
WEATHER AT KFNT, 10 NAUTICAL MILES AT 153 DEGREES FROM THE ACCIDENT LOCATION
20 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT WAS - KFNT 191753Z 08010KT 10SM CLR 12/M01 A3043
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.