What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On April 18, at approximately 1745 central time, the pilot, was attempting to land at falcon head airport (37K) near Burneyville, Oklahoma in VFR condition when the aircraft, a pitts model 12, lost power due to engine failure. The pilot conducted an emergency landing in a field short of falcon head airport. The aircraft incurred substantial damage, with one person on board who received no injuries.
The pilot stated that while attempting to land the aircraft at falcon head airport, he entered a left down wind for landing on runway 18, pproximately 10 minutes after departure. He reduced the power to approximately 15" mpm and 2,000 RPM and descended at 100 mph indicated airspeed. While turning base leg, he advanced the throttle but there was no response. He instinctive pushed both throttle and propeller controls full forward. This action resulted in immediate loss of airspeed and altitude. He made the decision to turn hard left approximately 90 degrees and landed the aircraft in a large wheat field.
The field was extremely soft from recent rains. The aircraft gear caught by the mud and folded back ward, causing the nose of the aircraft to impack the ground, and buckle upward. The aircraft came to a sudden stop. Fuel was streaming into the front cockpit area. He immediately shut off the master switch and evacuated the aircraft quickly.
The on sight investigation of the aircraft revealed the following discrepancies: cockpit area: seatbelts-hooker custom harness- okay, throttle and mixture controls were jamed or binding, other instruments were okay. The cannopy condition were okay, rudder pedals jamed, main fuel tank full of fuel, when fuel tank cap removed fuel started leaking from broken fuel line, three blade propeller broken and separated from crank shalf, nose landing gear bent inward and damage from hard landing, right wing leading edge damage, wing fabric skin torn, and structure damage, elevator controls damage, verital stabilizer control cable broken, main landing gear damage, and fuselage buckle and incurred structure damage.
As the FAA filed it
ON APRIL 18, AT APPROXIMATELY 1745 CENTRAL TIME, THE PILOT, WAS ATTEMPTING TO LAND AT FALCON HEAD AIRPORT (37K) NEAR BURNEYVILLE, OKLAHOMA IN VFR CONDITION WHEN THE AIRCRAFT, A PITTS MODEL 12, LOST POWER DUE TO ENGINE FAILURE. THE PILOT CONDUCTED AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A FIELD SHORT OF FALCON HEAD AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT INCURRED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, WITH ONE PERSON ON BOARD WHO RECEIVED NO INJURIES.
THE PILOT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT AT FALCON HEAD AIRPORT, HE ENTERED A LEFT DOWN WIND FOR LANDING ON RUNWAY 18, PPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES AFTER DEPARTURE. HE REDUCED THE POWER TO APPROXIMATELY 15" MPM AND 2,000 RPM AND DESCENDED AT 100 MPH INDICATED AIRSPEED. WHILE TURNING BASE LEG, HE ADVANCED THE THROTTLE BUT THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. HE INSTINCTIVE PUSHED BOTH THROTTLE AND PROPELLER CONTROLS FULL FORWARD. THIS ACTION RESULTED IN IMMEDIATE LOSS OF AIRSPEED AND ALTITUDE. HE MADE THE DECISION TO TURN HARD LEFT APPROXIMATELY 90 DEGREES AND LANDED THE AIRCRAFT IN A LARGE WHEAT FIELD.
THE FIELD WAS EXTREMELY SOFT FROM RECENT RAINS. THE AIRCRAFT GEAR CAUGHT BY THE MUD AND FOLDED BACK WARD, CAUSING THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT TO IMPACK THE GROUND, AND BUCKLE UPWARD. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A SUDDEN STOP. FUEL WAS STREAMING INTO THE FRONT COCKPIT AREA. HE IMMEDIATELY SHUT OFF THE MASTER SWITCH AND EVACUATED THE AIRCRAFT QUICKLY.
THE ON SIGHT INVESTIGATION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THE FOLLOWING DISCREPANCIES: COCKPIT AREA: SEATBELTS-HOOKER CUSTOM HARNESS- OKAY, THROTTLE AND MIXTURE CONTROLS WERE JAMED OR BINDING, OTHER INSTRUMENTS WERE OKAY. THE CANNOPY CONDITION WERE OKAY, RUDDER PEDALS JAMED, MAIN FUEL TANK FULL OF FUEL, WHEN FUEL TANK CAP REMOVED FUEL STARTED LEAKING FROM BROKEN FUEL LINE, THREE BLADE PROPELLER BROKEN AND SEPARATED FROM CRANK SHALF, NOSE LANDING GEAR BENT INWARD AND DAMAGE FROM HARD LANDING, RIGHT WING LEADING EDGE DAMAGE, WING FABRIC SKIN TORN, AND STRUCTURE DAMAGE, ELEVATOR CONTROLS DAMAGE, VERITAL STABILIZER CONTROL CABLE BROKEN, MAIN LANDING GEAR DAMAGE, AND FUSELAGE BUCKLE AND INCURRED STRUCTURE 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.