What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 07/02/2016 a charity flight sponsored by the local chapter of the experimental aircraft association (eaa) was performed by privacy data omitted at Houghton Lake State Airport. privacy data omitted, A private pilot with 479 hrs. Was flying a Piper tripacer, a PA-22-150 with a registration number of N5788D. privacy data omitted Requested that the passengers assigned to his flight be the lightest weight and stature do to the size of his aircraft. He received one adult and two children (16 and 11 year old). Pilot performed proper weight and balance briefed the passengers and sat the children in the aft seat bench and the adult in the front right seat. Aircraft departed on runway 34 and proceeded to fly around the nearby lake for about 20 minute sight seeing flight. Pilot returned to airport and entered downwind leg for runway 34 at about 2000FT of altitude indicated (800 ft. AGL). Weather was clear with wind 5 to 9 knots out of 260 degrees. Pilot entered base leg then final approach and all numbers where in the normal range. Once the aircraft passed the tree line the pilot noticed that the sink rate of the aircraft was too fast, he applied power but pilot felt that the landing gear hit something. The aircraft hit the property fence and experience a hard landing . The nose gear slowly began to buckle aft and under the fuselage, as the nose gear collapsed the propeller began to strike the ground until engine stopped, aircraft veered to the right of the runway and came to rest nose down at the edge of runway. Pilot shut down all electrical power to the aircraft and exited the aircraft normally with the passengers. Pilot , front passenger and aft right passenger received minor injuries; pilot-scratch to the left leg, front passenger - scratch wrists and knee, aft left passenger- scratch left wrist. All were treated and released at the scene.
As the FAA filed it
ON 07/02/2016 A CHARITY FLIGHT SPONSORED BY THE LOCAL CHAPTER OF THE EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION (EAA) WAS PERFORMED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AT HOUGHTON LAKE STATE AIRPORT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, A PRIVATE PILOT WITH 479 HRS. WAS FLYING A PIPER TRIPACER, A PA-22-150 WITH A REGISTRATION NUMBER OF N5788D. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ REQUESTED THAT THE PASSENGERS ASSIGNED TO HIS FLIGHT BE THE LIGHTEST WEIGHT AND STATURE DO TO THE SIZE OF HIS AIRCRAFT. HE RECEIVED ONE ADULT AND TWO CHILDREN (16 AND 11 YEAR OLD). PILOT PERFORMED PROPER WEIGHT AND BALANCE BRIEFED THE PASSENGERS AND SAT THE CHILDREN IN THE AFT SEAT BENCH AND THE ADULT IN THE FRONT RIGHT SEAT. AIRCRAFT DEPARTED ON RUNWAY 34 AND PROCEEDED TO FLY AROUND THE NEARBY LAKE FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTE SIGHT SEEING FLIGHT. PILOT RETURNED TO AIRPORT AND ENTERED DOWNWIND LEG FOR RUNWAY 34 AT ABOUT 2000FT OF ALTITUDE INDICATED (800 FT. AGL). WEATHER WAS CLEAR WITH WIND 5 TO 9 KNOTS OUT OF 260 DEGREES. PILOT ENTERED BASE LEG THEN FINAL APPROACH AND ALL NUMBERS WHERE IN THE NORMAL RANGE. ONCE THE AIRCRAFT PASSED THE TREE LINE THE PILOT NOTICED THAT THE SINK RATE OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS TOO FAST, HE APPLIED POWER BUT PILOT FELT THAT THE LANDING GEAR HIT SOMETHING. THE AIRCRAFT HIT THE PROPERTY FENCE AND EXPERIENCE A HARD LANDING . THE NOSE GEAR SLOWLY BEGAN TO BUCKLE AFT AND UNDER THE FUSELAGE, AS THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED THE PROPELLER BEGAN TO STRIKE THE GROUND UNTIL ENGINE STOPPED, AIRCRAFT VEERED TO THE RIGHT OF THE RUNWAY AND CAME TO REST NOSE DOWN AT THE EDGE OF RUNWAY. PILOT SHUT DOWN ALL ELECTRICAL POWER TO THE AIRCRAFT AND EXITED THE AIRCRAFT NORMALLY WITH THE PASSENGERS. PILOT , FRONT PASSENGER AND AFT RIGHT PASSENGER RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES; PILOT-SCRATCH TO THE LEFT LEG, FRONT PASSENGER - SCRATCH WRISTS AND KNEE, AFT LEFT PASSENGER- SCRATCH LEFT WRIST. ALL WERE TREATED AND RELEASED AT THE SCENE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.