What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
* On the 23rd of July 2016, privacy data omitted (pilot) traveled to Sebastian Municipal Airport (X26) where his plane is hangar?d, an experimental velocity, xl, rg, retractable gear, N916TC.
* At around 9 am the pilot pushed the plane to the fuel, self service station and fueled both tanks.
* Pilot entered the plane and used the check list provided by the company, pilot remembered the following check items: mags on, strop light on, mixture rich, prop forward, throttle advanced about an inch, prime the engine for 5 seconds from the switch on the overhead, call clear and push the starter switch.
* Pilot stated the engine did not start, he then repeated the above step and the engine started right away.
*Pilot reported the glass cockpit, made by gr, which did not light up as normal, he then reseated the cb for it, that did not work, so he called the chief pilot of the company, who was done refueling his plane and was heading to oshkosh as well, he came to the plane and repeated what the pilot did (pulling the cb and reset it) the displays did not start, he then told the pilot sometimes when the aircraft starts moving it will come up, which he did and the displays came on line.
* Pilot reported the wind was about 4-6 KTS, and the runway in use was runway 10, he then taxied to the run up area, and advanced the throttle to 1800 and checked the mags, one by one, then revved the prop twice, checked the movement of all the flight control surfaces, advanced the throttle to 2300 RPM, turn the plane and reduced the power to a 1000 RPM, hold short , check the final approached for planes, and moved to the runway, looked at all the instrument and temperature and teach indicated green, announced our intention in the radio and advanced the throttle smoothly, almost at full power watching the mp, not to exceed 38, as been told by his instructor.
* Pilot reported the plane accelerate as usual and nicely, but did not rotate as fast as it normally does, then it rotated and start to climb. Shortly pass the end of the runway, he realized a problem as the airplane did not climb as fast as it normally does, then the engine lost power, felt like the engine stopped running.
* Pilots stated , his only option based his speed and altitude, was to try and land on the top of the trees
*Pilot decided to keep the gear down, increase the angle of attack and hope that the prop, and the gear will slow down the plane as it hit the trees
* He held that position as they hit the trees and began to penetrate the tree layers, he felt the crash of the leaves, branches and trees, on the windshield and airframe, pilot believes on the same nose high, (landing position).
* When the plane stopped, pilot checked his son, no injures, pilot then open the left door to see whether the aircraft was on the ground or hanging on the trees.
* Pilot reported upon leaving the cockpit he turned all power off and switches to off, pulled back the mixture, props and throttle, exited the plane and had his son exit the plane from the left side, both move away from the plane as they smelled gasoline.
* Pilot stated the test pilot/ instructor of the company was behind him and ready for takeoff, witnessed the plane climb, then float / descent on the tress.
* At this time the city first responders arrived and found the pilot and passenger.
* With the plane on the ground, the aircrafts nose, windshield, cockpit/cabin, engine compartment and left wing was intact. The trees separated the RH wing, left front canard assembly, and three prop blades.
* Pilot reported the airport runway was dry and clear, visibility was unrestricted and wind was light during this day.
As the FAA filed it
* ON THE 23RD OF JULY 2016, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ (PILOT) TRAVELED TO SEBASTIAN MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (X26) WHERE HIS PLANE IS HANGAR?D, AN EXPERIMENTAL VELOCITY, XL, RG, RETRACTABLE GEAR, N916TC.
* AT AROUND 9 AM THE PILOT PUSHED THE PLANE TO THE FUEL, SELF SERVICE STATION AND FUELED BOTH TANKS.
* PILOT ENTERED THE PLANE AND USED THE CHECK LIST PROVIDED BY THE COMPANY, PILOT REMEMBERED THE FOLLOWING CHECK ITEMS: MAGS ON, STROP LIGHT ON, MIXTURE RICH, PROP FORWARD, THROTTLE ADVANCED ABOUT AN INCH, PRIME THE ENGINE FOR 5 SECONDS FROM THE SWITCH ON THE OVERHEAD, CALL CLEAR AND PUSH THE STARTER SWITCH.
* PILOT STATED THE ENGINE DID NOT START, HE THEN REPEATED THE ABOVE STEP AND THE ENGINE STARTED RIGHT AWAY.
*PILOT REPORTED THE GLASS COCKPIT, MADE BY GR, WHICH DID NOT LIGHT UP AS NORMAL, HE THEN RESEATED THE CB FOR IT, THAT DID NOT WORK, SO HE CALLED THE CHIEF PILOT OF THE COMPANY, WHO WAS DONE REFUELING HIS PLANE AND WAS HEADING TO OSHKOSH AS WELL, HE CAME TO THE PLANE AND REPEATED WHAT THE PILOT DID (PULLING THE CB AND RESET IT) THE DISPLAYS DID NOT START, HE THEN TOLD THE PILOT SOMETIMES WHEN THE AIRCRAFT STARTS MOVING IT WILL COME UP, WHICH HE DID AND THE DISPLAYS CAME ON LINE.
* PILOT REPORTED THE WIND WAS ABOUT 4-6 KTS, AND THE RUNWAY IN USE WAS RUNWAY 10, HE THEN TAXIED TO THE RUN UP AREA, AND ADVANCED THE THROTTLE TO 1800 AND CHECKED THE MAGS, ONE BY ONE, THEN REVVED THE PROP TWICE, CHECKED THE MOVEMENT OF ALL THE FLIGHT CONTROL SURFACES, ADVANCED THE THROTTLE TO 2300 RPM, TURN THE PLANE AND REDUCED THE POWER TO A 1000 RPM, HOLD SHORT , CHECK THE FINAL APPROACHED FOR PLANES, AND MOVED TO THE RUNWAY, LOOKED AT ALL THE INSTRUMENT AND TEMPERATURE AND TEACH INDICATED GREEN, ANNOUNCED OUR INTENTION IN THE RADIO AND ADVANCED THE THROTTLE SMOOTHLY, ALMOST AT FULL POWER WATCHING THE MP, NOT TO EXCEED 38, AS BEEN TOLD BY HIS INSTRUCTOR.
* PILOT REPORTED THE PLANE ACCELERATE AS USUAL AND NICELY, BUT DID NOT ROTATE AS FAST AS IT NORMALLY DOES, THEN IT ROTATED AND START TO CLIMB. SHORTLY PASS THE END OF THE RUNWAY, HE REALIZED A PROBLEM AS THE AIRPLANE DID NOT CLIMB AS FAST AS IT NORMALLY DOES, THEN THE ENGINE LOST POWER, FELT LIKE THE ENGINE STOPPED RUNNING.
* PILOTS STATED , HIS ONLY OPTION BASED HIS SPEED AND ALTITUDE, WAS TO TRY AND LAND ON THE TOP OF THE TREES
*PILOT DECIDED TO KEEP THE GEAR DOWN, INCREASE THE ANGLE OF ATTACK AND HOPE THAT THE PROP, AND THE GEAR WILL SLOW DOWN THE PLANE AS IT HIT THE TREES
* HE HELD THAT POSITION AS THEY HIT THE TREES AND BEGAN TO PENETRATE THE TREE LAYERS, HE FELT THE CRASH OF THE LEAVES, BRANCHES AND TREES, ON THE WINDSHIELD AND AIRFRAME, PILOT BELIEVES ON THE SAME NOSE HIGH, (LANDING POSITION).
* WHEN THE PLANE STOPPED, PILOT CHECKED HIS SON, NO INJURES, PILOT THEN OPEN THE LEFT DOOR TO SEE WHETHER THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON THE GROUND OR HANGING ON THE TREES.
* PILOT REPORTED UPON LEAVING THE COCKPIT HE TURNED ALL POWER OFF AND SWITCHES TO OFF, PULLED BACK THE MIXTURE, PROPS AND THROTTLE, EXITED THE PLANE AND HAD HIS SON EXIT THE PLANE FROM THE LEFT SIDE, BOTH MOVE AWAY FROM THE PLANE AS THEY SMELLED GASOLINE.
* PILOT STATED THE TEST PILOT/ INSTRUCTOR OF THE COMPANY WAS BEHIND HIM AND READY FOR TAKEOFF, WITNESSED THE PLANE CLIMB, THEN FLOAT / DESCENT ON THE TRESS.
* AT THIS TIME THE CITY FIRST RESPONDERS ARRIVED AND FOUND THE PILOT AND PASSENGER.
* WITH THE PLANE ON THE GROUND, THE AIRCRAFTS NOSE, WINDSHIELD, COCKPIT/CABIN, ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND LEFT WING WAS INTACT. THE TREES SEPARATED THE RH WING, LEFT FRONT CANARD ASSEMBLY, AND THREE PROP BLADES.
* PILOT REPORTED THE AIRPORT RUNWAY WAS DRY AND CLEAR, VISIBILITY WAS UNRESTRICTED AND WIND WAS LIGHT DURING THIS DAY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.