What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
04/10/2016 - This office received a report of an aircraft that had overshot the runway at Caldwell Municipal Airport (rwv) and was in a field. An onsite investigation was performed. The pilot stated that he was enroute austin, TX from enis, TX when the aircraft began to make a loud noise that appeared to be coming from the engine. He alerted the tower and asked for the nearest airport. The pilot diverted to rwv which was six miles behind him. According to the pilot there was a loud "clunk" and the engine noise got louder and vibrations could be felt through the entire aircraft including the flight controls. In a written statement later the pilot stated the flight controls felt "difficult".
The pilot did not see the airport until he was too close and had to circle the airport. As he circled the airport the engine became "erratic" and lost power. The pilot committed to land on runway 15. The aircraft landed mid-field with full flaps at a high rate of speed. The aircraft departed off the end of the runway, went through a fence and came to a stop approximately 100 yards south-east of the runway in a cattle field. There were no injuries to the pilot and two passengers.
The right wing of the aircraft impacted a fence post and a very small tree as it entered the field. The impact point from the fence post was approximately one fourth of the distance from the fuselage to the wingtip and went into the wing approximately eight inches. It did not appear to damage the wing spar. The right wing fuel tank appeared intact and was not leaking fuel. The small tree impacted approximately three feet from the wingtip where the leading edge extends forward and entered approximately six inches.
04/13/2016 - This office received notification from the NTSB iic. Further inspection of damage revealed delamination on the leading edge of the right wing at impact point. Damage to wing spar is suspected. More damage is suspected due to the presence of fore-aft play of right wing. Aircraft damage assessment has been raised to "substantial".
As the FAA filed it
04/10/2016 - THIS OFFICE RECEIVED A REPORT OF AN AIRCRAFT THAT HAD OVERSHOT THE RUNWAY AT CALDWELL MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (RWV) AND WAS IN A FIELD. AN ONSITE INVESTIGATION WAS PERFORMED. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS ENROUTE AUSTIN, TX FROM ENIS, TX WHEN THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO MAKE A LOUD NOISE THAT APPEARED TO BE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. HE ALERTED THE TOWER AND ASKED FOR THE NEAREST AIRPORT. THE PILOT DIVERTED TO RWV WHICH WAS SIX MILES BEHIND HIM. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT THERE WAS A LOUD "CLUNK" AND THE ENGINE NOISE GOT LOUDER AND VIBRATIONS COULD BE FELT THROUGH THE ENTIRE AIRCRAFT INCLUDING THE FLIGHT CONTROLS. IN A WRITTEN STATEMENT LATER THE PILOT STATED THE FLIGHT CONTROLS FELT "DIFFICULT".
THE PILOT DID NOT SEE THE AIRPORT UNTIL HE WAS TOO CLOSE AND HAD TO CIRCLE THE AIRPORT. AS HE CIRCLED THE AIRPORT THE ENGINE BECAME "ERRATIC" AND LOST POWER. THE PILOT COMMITTED TO LAND ON RUNWAY 15. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED MID-FIELD WITH FULL FLAPS AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED OFF THE END OF THE RUNWAY, WENT THROUGH A FENCE AND CAME TO A STOP APPROXIMATELY 100 YARDS SOUTH-EAST OF THE RUNWAY IN A CATTLE FIELD. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS.
THE RIGHT WING OF THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED A FENCE POST AND A VERY SMALL TREE AS IT ENTERED THE FIELD. THE IMPACT POINT FROM THE FENCE POST WAS APPROXIMATELY ONE FOURTH OF THE DISTANCE FROM THE FUSELAGE TO THE WINGTIP AND WENT INTO THE WING APPROXIMATELY EIGHT INCHES. IT DID NOT APPEAR TO DAMAGE THE WING SPAR. THE RIGHT WING FUEL TANK APPEARED INTACT AND WAS NOT LEAKING FUEL. THE SMALL TREE IMPACTED APPROXIMATELY THREE FEET FROM THE WINGTIP WHERE THE LEADING EDGE EXTENDS FORWARD AND ENTERED APPROXIMATELY SIX INCHES.
04/13/2016 - THIS OFFICE RECEIVED NOTIFICATION FROM THE NTSB IIC. FURTHER INSPECTION OF DAMAGE REVEALED DELAMINATION ON THE LEADING EDGE OF THE RIGHT WING AT IMPACT POINT. DAMAGE TO WING SPAR IS SUSPECTED. MORE DAMAGE IS SUSPECTED DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF FORE-AFT PLAY OF RIGHT WING. AIRCRAFT DAMAGE ASSESSMENT HAS BEEN RAISED TO "SUBSTANTIAL".
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.