What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On September 5, 2015, at approximately 1200 eastern daylight time (EDT), a Grumman-american AA5, N67296, ^owned by an individual and flown by his son^, a private pilot, on a title 14 code of federal regulations (CFR) part 91 flight, landed on runway 1 at the private use Spring Lake Airport, Pekin, Indiana (IN43). During the landing, the aircraft sustained substantial damage to the left wing and damage to the right main landing gear and lower engine cowling. No injuries were reported by either the private pilot or his passenger.
The purpose of the flight was to look at an aircraft for sale at the Spring Lake Airport. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the flight and no flight plan was filed for the flight from gallatin, Tennessee.
The pilot obtained runway data prior to the flight over the world wide web (internet) describing the runway as 60' wide and 1000' long. Additionally, the pilot spoke with the individual whom he was to meet at the Spring Lake Airport the day of the flight and was told the runway was 40' wide and 2000' long. The AA-5 has a 31'5" wingspan.
During landing, the left wing struck the outer four feet of corn which had been planted 7 feet inside of the west edge of the runway approximately 375' from the arrival end. The aircraft came to rest facing west 242' after first striking the corn. The right main landing gear was sheared off at the bottom of the strut assembly when the aircraft turned left perpendicular to the runway centerline. The pilot did not detect from the cockpit the 58' length of corn growing inside of the runway edge, resulting in a 32'6" runway width and offset centerline for that portion of the runway.
As the FAA filed it
ON SEPTEMBER 5, 2015, AT APPROXIMATELY 1200 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME (EDT), A GRUMMAN-AMERICAN AA5, N67296, ^OWNED BY AN INDIVIDUAL AND FLOWN BY HIS SON^, A PRIVATE PILOT, ON A TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91 FLIGHT, LANDED ON RUNWAY 1 AT THE PRIVATE USE SPRING LAKE AIRPORT, PEKIN, INDIANA (IN43). DURING THE LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING AND DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR AND LOWER ENGINE COWLING. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED BY EITHER THE PRIVATE PILOT OR HIS PASSENGER.
THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO LOOK AT AN AIRCRAFT FOR SALE AT THE SPRING LAKE AIRPORT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE FLIGHT AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE FLIGHT FROM GALLATIN, TENNESSEE.
THE PILOT OBTAINED RUNWAY DATA PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT OVER THE WORLD WIDE WEB (INTERNET) DESCRIBING THE RUNWAY AS 60' WIDE AND 1000' LONG. ADDITIONALLY, THE PILOT SPOKE WITH THE INDIVIDUAL WHOM HE WAS TO MEET AT THE SPRING LAKE AIRPORT THE DAY OF THE FLIGHT AND WAS TOLD THE RUNWAY WAS 40' WIDE AND 2000' LONG. THE AA-5 HAS A 31'5" WINGSPAN.
DURING LANDING, THE LEFT WING STRUCK THE OUTER FOUR FEET OF CORN WHICH HAD BEEN PLANTED 7 FEET INSIDE OF THE WEST EDGE OF THE RUNWAY APPROXIMATELY 375' FROM THE ARRIVAL END. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST FACING WEST 242' AFTER FIRST STRIKING THE CORN. THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR WAS SHEARED OFF AT THE BOTTOM OF THE STRUT ASSEMBLY WHEN THE AIRCRAFT TURNED LEFT PERPENDICULAR TO THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE. THE PILOT DID NOT DETECT FROM THE COCKPIT THE 58' LENGTH OF CORN GROWING INSIDE OF THE RUNWAY EDGE, RESULTING IN A 32'6" RUNWAY WIDTH AND OFFSET CENTERLINE FOR THAT PORTION OF THE RUNWAY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.