What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On June 3, 2017, inspectors from this office received a call from the FAA roc at around 1700.
Upon arrival, photographic evidence was collected. Aircraft control continuity, airman body orientation, and other initial evidence was established. The airman was taken by palmer mortuary staff with an FAA toxicology box.
On June 4, 2017, the engine was separated from the airframe with assistance from the new berlin volunteer fire department's emergency shear tool. The aircraft's dataplate was located for positive id and other aircraft parts were located. Propeller hub and gearbox rotational ability were established.
On June 7, 2017, the original FAA inspector team, along with an airworthiness inspector, established engine rotational ability. A final inspection of the site was conducted before contacting the NTSB investigator for wreckage release.
The following items and accident signatures were discovered during the investigation:
-The engine was found to be upside down in relation to the rest of the aircraft but still attached.
-Two of the three propeller blades were found together, with no indication of rotation on impact. The leading edges and tips were undamaged. The third propeller has not been located.
-The propeller blades and cowling debris were located approximately ten to fifteen feet from the aircraft's final position.
-The nose cone showed no signs of rotation on impact.
-The engine was angled to the right when viewed from behind the aircraft.
-The left wing trailed the right wing instead of being aligned.
-The empennage was angled to the right when viewed from behind the aircraft.
-The aircraft controls appeared to have continuity.
-Considerable fire damage occurred at the aircraft site, extending up to approximately twenty feet from the center of the fire zone.
-Upon inspection, the propeller hub, gearbox, and engine are still able to rotate with no signs of unusual mechanical friction.
-The airman was found leaning towards the right side of the cockpit and sitting upright.
-According to a witness statement, the aircraft was last seen taxing for takeoff. The witness stated hearing a pop and then seeing smoke, although it is unclear to the witness if the pop was an engine backfire or the initial crash impact.
-According to the new berlin volunteer fire department, they arrived approximately five minutes after the initial call. The engine and airman were still smoldering, and the left main tire and wheel were on fire, but the aircraft fire had mostly put itself out.
Amendment:
On September 13, 2017, the inspectors in charge for the original investigation visited the site to retrieve the aircraft and pilot logbooks found by ^mrs. Logan^. The logbooks were originally believed to be lost in the accident but were found as she was packing. ^mrs. Logan^ also stated that ^mr. Logan^ was having ignition issues that were supposedly fixed. ^mrs. Logan^ stated the ignition problems were causing the engine to miss or quit during high-powered run-ups.
^Mr. Mark webb^ was contacted by the inspectors from a suggestion by ^mrs. Logan^ that he may have additional information. ^Mr. Mark webb^ has the same type of aircraft and engine combination. ^Mr. Webb^ stated that ^mr. Logan^ contacted him letting him know about the ignition problems, and that he found a solution. However, ^Mr. Webb^ was never told what the fix was, or if it was a dual ignition problem or just one of the sources. ^Mr. Webb^ stated that ^mr. Logan^ converted the engine to efi and dual ignition years prior due to the original engine's design as an automotive engine.
As the FAA filed it
ON JUNE 3, 2017, INSPECTORS FROM THIS OFFICE RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE FAA ROC AT AROUND 1700.
UPON ARRIVAL, PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE WAS COLLECTED. AIRCRAFT CONTROL CONTINUITY, AIRMAN BODY ORIENTATION, AND OTHER INITIAL EVIDENCE WAS ESTABLISHED. THE AIRMAN WAS TAKEN BY PALMER MORTUARY STAFF WITH AN FAA TOXICOLOGY BOX.
ON JUNE 4, 2017, THE ENGINE WAS SEPARATED FROM THE AIRFRAME WITH ASSISTANCE FROM THE NEW BERLIN VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT'S EMERGENCY SHEAR TOOL. THE AIRCRAFT'S DATAPLATE WAS LOCATED FOR POSITIVE ID AND OTHER AIRCRAFT PARTS WERE LOCATED. PROPELLER HUB AND GEARBOX ROTATIONAL ABILITY WERE ESTABLISHED.
ON JUNE 7, 2017, THE ORIGINAL FAA INSPECTOR TEAM, ALONG WITH AN AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTOR, ESTABLISHED ENGINE ROTATIONAL ABILITY. A FINAL INSPECTION OF THE SITE WAS CONDUCTED BEFORE CONTACTING THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR FOR WRECKAGE RELEASE.
THE FOLLOWING ITEMS AND ACCIDENT SIGNATURES WERE DISCOVERED DURING THE INVESTIGATION:
-THE ENGINE WAS FOUND TO BE UPSIDE DOWN IN RELATION TO THE REST OF THE AIRCRAFT BUT STILL ATTACHED.
-TWO OF THE THREE PROPELLER BLADES WERE FOUND TOGETHER, WITH NO INDICATION OF ROTATION ON IMPACT. THE LEADING EDGES AND TIPS WERE UNDAMAGED. THE THIRD PROPELLER HAS NOT BEEN LOCATED.
-THE PROPELLER BLADES AND COWLING DEBRIS WERE LOCATED APPROXIMATELY TEN TO FIFTEEN FEET FROM THE AIRCRAFT'S FINAL POSITION.
-THE NOSE CONE SHOWED NO SIGNS OF ROTATION ON IMPACT.
-THE ENGINE WAS ANGLED TO THE RIGHT WHEN VIEWED FROM BEHIND THE AIRCRAFT.
-THE LEFT WING TRAILED THE RIGHT WING INSTEAD OF BEING ALIGNED.
-THE EMPENNAGE WAS ANGLED TO THE RIGHT WHEN VIEWED FROM BEHIND THE AIRCRAFT.
-THE AIRCRAFT CONTROLS APPEARED TO HAVE CONTINUITY.
-CONSIDERABLE FIRE DAMAGE OCCURRED AT THE AIRCRAFT SITE, EXTENDING UP TO APPROXIMATELY TWENTY FEET FROM THE CENTER OF THE FIRE ZONE.
-UPON INSPECTION, THE PROPELLER HUB, GEARBOX, AND ENGINE ARE STILL ABLE TO ROTATE WITH NO SIGNS OF UNUSUAL MECHANICAL FRICTION.
-THE AIRMAN WAS FOUND LEANING TOWARDS THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE COCKPIT AND SITTING UPRIGHT.
-ACCORDING TO A WITNESS STATEMENT, THE AIRCRAFT WAS LAST SEEN TAXING FOR TAKEOFF. THE WITNESS STATED HEARING A POP AND THEN SEEING SMOKE, ALTHOUGH IT IS UNCLEAR TO THE WITNESS IF THE POP WAS AN ENGINE BACKFIRE OR THE INITIAL CRASH IMPACT.
-ACCORDING TO THE NEW BERLIN VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT, THEY ARRIVED APPROXIMATELY FIVE MINUTES AFTER THE INITIAL CALL. THE ENGINE AND AIRMAN WERE STILL SMOLDERING, AND THE LEFT MAIN TIRE AND WHEEL WERE ON FIRE, BUT THE AIRCRAFT FIRE HAD MOSTLY PUT ITSELF OUT.
AMENDMENT:
ON SEPTEMBER 13, 2017, THE INSPECTORS IN CHARGE FOR THE ORIGINAL INVESTIGATION VISITED THE SITE TO RETRIEVE THE AIRCRAFT AND PILOT LOGBOOKS FOUND BY ^MRS. LOGAN^. THE LOGBOOKS WERE ORIGINALLY BELIEVED TO BE LOST IN THE ACCIDENT BUT WERE FOUND AS SHE WAS PACKING. ^MRS. LOGAN^ ALSO STATED THAT ^MR. LOGAN^ WAS HAVING IGNITION ISSUES THAT WERE SUPPOSEDLY FIXED. ^MRS. LOGAN^ STATED THE IGNITION PROBLEMS WERE CAUSING THE ENGINE TO MISS OR QUIT DURING HIGH-POWERED RUN-UPS.
^MR. MARK WEBB^ WAS CONTACTED BY THE INSPECTORS FROM A SUGGESTION BY ^MRS. LOGAN^ THAT HE MAY HAVE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. ^MR. MARK WEBB^ HAS THE SAME TYPE OF AIRCRAFT AND ENGINE COMBINATION. ^MR. WEBB^ STATED THAT ^MR. LOGAN^ CONTACTED HIM LETTING HIM KNOW ABOUT THE IGNITION PROBLEMS, AND THAT HE FOUND A SOLUTION. HOWEVER, ^MR. WEBB^ WAS NEVER TOLD WHAT THE FIX WAS, OR IF IT WAS A DUAL IGNITION PROBLEM OR JUST ONE OF THE SOURCES. ^MR. WEBB^ STATED THAT ^MR. LOGAN^ CONVERTED THE ENGINE TO EFI AND DUAL IGNITION YEARS PRIOR DUE TO THE ORIGINAL ENGINE'S DESIGN AS AN AUTOMOTIVE ENGINE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.