What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On June 28, 2017 approximately 1910 eastern standard time, a Beech B23 experienced loss of engine performance after takeoff from Odell Williamson Municipal Airport runway 24. The aircraft experienced the loss of power shortly after departing the traffic pattern to the north. At that time the pilot decided to attempt to return to the airport and made a left bank turn. The pilot stated by this point in the flight they were at about 500 feet and nearly at a stall. When the pilot realized they were not going to make it back to the airport, he decided to perform an emergency landing into a wooded area to avoid the housing development along their route back to the airport. The left wing contacted a tree severing half the wing, which was found below the tree approximately 100 feet behind the fuselage. The fuselage crashed into the ground inverted. The right wing was found approximately 15 feet in front of the fuselage. The pilot suffered minor injuries and the passenger was diagnosed with five broken ribs, broken sternum and a broken tooth at the hospital shortly after the accident. On August 29, 2017 the pilot was given verbal counseling by an FAA operations aviation safety inspector. The items discussed during verbal counseling were the altitude required to make a 180 degree turn to be able to land on the departure runway, memory items from the aircraft poh/afm for an engine failure in flight, the importance of sampling the fuel for contamination before every flight, especially after refueling, the pilot acknowledged he understood these items. The root cause of the loss of engine performance could not be determined after multiple tests performed during this investigation.
As the FAA filed it
ON JUNE 28, 2017 APPROXIMATELY 1910 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A BEECH B23 EXPERIENCED LOSS OF ENGINE PERFORMANCE AFTER TAKEOFF FROM ODELL WILLIAMSON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT RUNWAY 24. THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED THE LOSS OF POWER SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTING THE TRAFFIC PATTERN TO THE NORTH. AT THAT TIME THE PILOT DECIDED TO ATTEMPT TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT AND MADE A LEFT BANK TURN. THE PILOT STATED BY THIS POINT IN THE FLIGHT THEY WERE AT ABOUT 500 FEET AND NEARLY AT A STALL. WHEN THE PILOT REALIZED THEY WERE NOT GOING TO MAKE IT BACK TO THE AIRPORT, HE DECIDED TO PERFORM AN EMERGENCY LANDING INTO A WOODED AREA TO AVOID THE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ALONG THEIR ROUTE BACK TO THE AIRPORT. THE LEFT WING CONTACTED A TREE SEVERING HALF THE WING, WHICH WAS FOUND BELOW THE TREE APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET BEHIND THE FUSELAGE. THE FUSELAGE CRASHED INTO THE GROUND INVERTED. THE RIGHT WING WAS FOUND APPROXIMATELY 15 FEET IN FRONT OF THE FUSELAGE. THE PILOT SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES AND THE PASSENGER WAS DIAGNOSED WITH FIVE BROKEN RIBS, BROKEN STERNUM AND A BROKEN TOOTH AT THE HOSPITAL SHORTLY AFTER THE ACCIDENT. ON AUGUST 29, 2017 THE PILOT WAS GIVEN VERBAL COUNSELING BY AN FAA OPERATIONS AVIATION SAFETY INSPECTOR. THE ITEMS DISCUSSED DURING VERBAL COUNSELING WERE THE ALTITUDE REQUIRED TO MAKE A 180 DEGREE TURN TO BE ABLE TO LAND ON THE DEPARTURE RUNWAY, MEMORY ITEMS FROM THE AIRCRAFT POH/AFM FOR AN ENGINE FAILURE IN FLIGHT, THE IMPORTANCE OF SAMPLING THE FUEL FOR CONTAMINATION BEFORE EVERY FLIGHT, ESPECIALLY AFTER REFUELING, THE PILOT ACKNOWLEDGED HE UNDERSTOOD THESE ITEMS. THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE LOSS OF ENGINE PERFORMANCE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED AFTER MULTIPLE TESTS PERFORMED DURING THIS INVESTIGATION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.