What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
N807LK was VFR on a northerly heading and communicating with columbus ATC trying to fly around incoming weather, at that time there was a line of severe weather he was trying to get through and ATC was assisting him to find his way around the weather when radar contact was lost.
Aircraft was located in a cornfield 6 miles northeast of sgh. The aircraft impacted the ground at a high angle of impact with a left spin and a moderate amount of speed, the main wreckage was located in one central location with an ejection field expanding out about 30 feet. There was no indication of fire or smoke damage in the wreckage. The police officers first on scene reported a strong smell of fuel. The control panel, engine, and propeller were separated at the point of impact. The momentum and twisting action caused the fuselage to travel about 30 feet beyond the point of impact.
Although heavily damaged, both l & r wings and the horizontal section were with the main fuselage wreckage. The flaps and ailerons for both wings and both elevators were found in the main wreckage area. A survey of the wreckage determined that the vertical stabilizer and rudder were not among the main wreckage area. A search of the immediate area did not indicate the vertical stabilizer or rudder was present. A piece of the rudder was found approximately 1 mile southeast of the accident site, however, the vertical stabilizer has yet to be found.
(Reviewed by bam on 08/04/16)
Amended 12 /13/2016: the vertical and rudder was located by a farmer in a corn field approximately ¾ of a mile southwest of the main accident site, there was four main pieces found in a somewhat straight line spanning about 1500 feet. The vertical was found mainly intact and has evidence overload damage at the attach points. Three pieces of the rudder was found (top and two middle pieces) the rudder upper hinge attach bracket rivets were pulled through the vertical attach holes and half the lower hinge attach bracket rivets failed in overload the other half pulled through the vertical attach holes. The lower portion of the rudder was not found. One control cable end was still attached to the rudder the other was not. Both cable attach points on the rudder had twisting and bending damage.
(Reviewed amendment by flm bam on 12/13/16)
As the FAA filed it
N807LK WAS VFR ON A NORTHERLY HEADING AND COMMUNICATING WITH COLUMBUS ATC TRYING TO FLY AROUND INCOMING WEATHER, AT THAT TIME THERE WAS A LINE OF SEVERE WEATHER HE WAS TRYING TO GET THROUGH AND ATC WAS ASSISTING HIM TO FIND HIS WAY AROUND THE WEATHER WHEN RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST.
AIRCRAFT WAS LOCATED IN A CORNFIELD 6 MILES NORTHEAST OF SGH. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND AT A HIGH ANGLE OF IMPACT WITH A LEFT SPIN AND A MODERATE AMOUNT OF SPEED, THE MAIN WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED IN ONE CENTRAL LOCATION WITH AN EJECTION FIELD EXPANDING OUT ABOUT 30 FEET. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF FIRE OR SMOKE DAMAGE IN THE WRECKAGE. THE POLICE OFFICERS FIRST ON SCENE REPORTED A STRONG SMELL OF FUEL. THE CONTROL PANEL, ENGINE, AND PROPELLER WERE SEPARATED AT THE POINT OF IMPACT. THE MOMENTUM AND TWISTING ACTION CAUSED THE FUSELAGE TO TRAVEL ABOUT 30 FEET BEYOND THE POINT OF IMPACT.
ALTHOUGH HEAVILY DAMAGED, BOTH L & R WINGS AND THE HORIZONTAL SECTION WERE WITH THE MAIN FUSELAGE WRECKAGE. THE FLAPS AND AILERONS FOR BOTH WINGS AND BOTH ELEVATORS WERE FOUND IN THE MAIN WRECKAGE AREA. A SURVEY OF THE WRECKAGE DETERMINED THAT THE VERTICAL STABILIZER AND RUDDER WERE NOT AMONG THE MAIN WRECKAGE AREA. A SEARCH OF THE IMMEDIATE AREA DID NOT INDICATE THE VERTICAL STABILIZER OR RUDDER WAS PRESENT. A PIECE OF THE RUDDER WAS FOUND APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE SOUTHEAST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE, HOWEVER, THE VERTICAL STABILIZER HAS YET TO BE FOUND.
(REVIEWED BY BAM ON 08/04/16)
AMENDED 12 /13/2016: THE VERTICAL AND RUDDER WAS LOCATED BY A FARMER IN A CORN FIELD APPROXIMATELY ¾ OF A MILE SOUTHWEST OF THE MAIN ACCIDENT SITE, THERE WAS FOUR MAIN PIECES FOUND IN A SOMEWHAT STRAIGHT LINE SPANNING ABOUT 1500 FEET. THE VERTICAL WAS FOUND MAINLY INTACT AND HAS EVIDENCE OVERLOAD DAMAGE AT THE ATTACH POINTS. THREE PIECES OF THE RUDDER WAS FOUND (TOP AND TWO MIDDLE PIECES) THE RUDDER UPPER HINGE ATTACH BRACKET RIVETS WERE PULLED THROUGH THE VERTICAL ATTACH HOLES AND HALF THE LOWER HINGE ATTACH BRACKET RIVETS FAILED IN OVERLOAD THE OTHER HALF PULLED THROUGH THE VERTICAL ATTACH HOLES. THE LOWER PORTION OF THE RUDDER WAS NOT FOUND. ONE CONTROL CABLE END WAS STILL ATTACHED TO THE RUDDER THE OTHER WAS NOT. BOTH CABLE ATTACH POINTS ON THE RUDDER HAD TWISTING AND BENDING DAMAGE.
(REVIEWED AMENDMENT BY FLM BAM ON 12/13/16)
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.