What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
I spoke with privacy data omitted regarding the ultralight accident he was involved in on July 8, 2016 at approximately 2025 in the evening. He was the owner of the ultralight and had built it himself with a volkswagen engine. It had not been run for a few years, and his intention was to fly it over to the Bluffton airport (5G7) and take it apart and dispose of it, versus doing this where he had it stored. He wanted the room at his facility so he decided to fly it out and over to Bluffton.
He drained the old fuel from both tanks and refueled with several gallons. He then ran it at high speed for around 30 minutes, with it tied down. He said it seemed to run just fine, and afterwards elected to fly it out. He departed a grass strip called ?pandora?, which was located northwest of the Bluffton airport. He made several passes over the grass strip at an unknown altitude just in case he had any problems. He said that the ultralight seemed to climb out fine, and once everything seemed to be ok, he went on toward Bluffton. Enroute, he sensed the engine was just not running right, but there was no obvious sputtering or other sign of a rough running engine. He thought maybe it could have been carburetor icing (because it was a warm evening), but regardless he sensed the engine was not producing the same amount of power mainly by the sound of the engine. He seemed to be losing some altitude, and with high tension power lines around, he did not think he could climb above the power lines, so he elected to land in a bean field and take it apart there. While aligning the ultralight for this, he hit the power line, but he does not remember this or anything from that point on.
privacy data omitted Said that the weather was fine, visibility good and light winds out of the west around 5 KTS. He mentioned density altitude may have been a factor but did not calculate it prior to takeoff. He was taken to the hospital immediately after the accident. He said among his injuries were 2 broken ankles, 1 broken/cracked sternum, and a broken/crushed vertebrae.
The conversation concluded at approximately 1045, and I mentioned that I was waiting on more information from the Ohio state patrol and if necessary, I will contact him again.
As the FAA filed it
I SPOKE WITH ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ REGARDING THE ULTRALIGHT ACCIDENT HE WAS INVOLVED IN ON JULY 8, 2016 AT APPROXIMATELY 2025 IN THE EVENING. HE WAS THE OWNER OF THE ULTRALIGHT AND HAD BUILT IT HIMSELF WITH A VOLKSWAGEN ENGINE. IT HAD NOT BEEN RUN FOR A FEW YEARS, AND HIS INTENTION WAS TO FLY IT OVER TO THE BLUFFTON AIRPORT (5G7) AND TAKE IT APART AND DISPOSE OF IT, VERSUS DOING THIS WHERE HE HAD IT STORED. HE WANTED THE ROOM AT HIS FACILITY SO HE DECIDED TO FLY IT OUT AND OVER TO BLUFFTON.
HE DRAINED THE OLD FUEL FROM BOTH TANKS AND REFUELED WITH SEVERAL GALLONS. HE THEN RAN IT AT HIGH SPEED FOR AROUND 30 MINUTES, WITH IT TIED DOWN. HE SAID IT SEEMED TO RUN JUST FINE, AND AFTERWARDS ELECTED TO FLY IT OUT. HE DEPARTED A GRASS STRIP CALLED ?PANDORA?, WHICH WAS LOCATED NORTHWEST OF THE BLUFFTON AIRPORT. HE MADE SEVERAL PASSES OVER THE GRASS STRIP AT AN UNKNOWN ALTITUDE JUST IN CASE HE HAD ANY PROBLEMS. HE SAID THAT THE ULTRALIGHT SEEMED TO CLIMB OUT FINE, AND ONCE EVERYTHING SEEMED TO BE OK, HE WENT ON TOWARD BLUFFTON. ENROUTE, HE SENSED THE ENGINE WAS JUST NOT RUNNING RIGHT, BUT THERE WAS NO OBVIOUS SPUTTERING OR OTHER SIGN OF A ROUGH RUNNING ENGINE. HE THOUGHT MAYBE IT COULD HAVE BEEN CARBURETOR ICING (BECAUSE IT WAS A WARM EVENING), BUT REGARDLESS HE SENSED THE ENGINE WAS NOT PRODUCING THE SAME AMOUNT OF POWER MAINLY BY THE SOUND OF THE ENGINE. HE SEEMED TO BE LOSING SOME ALTITUDE, AND WITH HIGH TENSION POWER LINES AROUND, HE DID NOT THINK HE COULD CLIMB ABOVE THE POWER LINES, SO HE ELECTED TO LAND IN A BEAN FIELD AND TAKE IT APART THERE. WHILE ALIGNING THE ULTRALIGHT FOR THIS, HE HIT THE POWER LINE, BUT HE DOES NOT REMEMBER THIS OR ANYTHING FROM THAT POINT ON.
^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SAID THAT THE WEATHER WAS FINE, VISIBILITY GOOD AND LIGHT WINDS OUT OF THE WEST AROUND 5 KTS. HE MENTIONED DENSITY ALTITUDE MAY HAVE BEEN A FACTOR BUT DID NOT CALCULATE IT PRIOR TO TAKEOFF. HE WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE ACCIDENT. HE SAID AMONG HIS INJURIES WERE 2 BROKEN ANKLES, 1 BROKEN/CRACKED STERNUM, AND A BROKEN/CRUSHED VERTEBRAE.
THE CONVERSATION CONCLUDED AT APPROXIMATELY 1045, AND I MENTIONED THAT I WAS WAITING ON MORE INFORMATION FROM THE OHIO STATE PATROL AND IF NECESSARY, I WILL CONTACT HIM AGAIN.