What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 7/4/2017 at approximately 14:00 EDT, mr jonathan e. coxwell cert#1771301 departed Remsen, NY airfield (NY57) in a recently puchased Luscombe 8A aircraft registered as N45851.
At approximately 14:30 EDT an eye witness described seeing the aircraft approaching NY57 for a landing on rwy 9 heading in an east direction. While at an unspecified low altitude and approximately 200 yrds short of runway the aircraft abruptly nosed toward the ground crashing into a field.
The eye witness reported the crash to 911 at approximately 14:38 EDT. First responders and paramedics attempted to resuscitate mr coxwell who did not survive his injuries from the crash, time of death was called at 15:10 EDT.
This inspector arrived on scene at approximately 17:30 EDT. Initial evaluation of the wreckage revealed substantial impact damage to the leading edge of both wings, engine and engine cowling, consistant with a steep angle of impact beginning with initial impact of the left wing, followed immediately by the propeller, spinner and right wing. The fusalage came to rest on it's wheels pointing roughly in a 290 degree direction. Propeller damage was observed as very minor with virtually no longitudinal bending of the blades. One blade was observed with mud packed on the face near the tip with longitudinal sctratches and abrasions on the back of the blade. Minimal small dents were present on the leading edge of the same blade only at the outer most 6 inches. The opposite blade had no apparent damage with only mud stains on the back of the blade. Propeller damage is consistant with very low propeller rotation and minimal engine power at impact.
Instrument panel and windscreen were smashed and broken. The fuel tank located in the upper rear of cockpit was observed slightly warped and cracked. Some fuel was leaking from the bottom of tank and the odor was consistant with leaded aviation fuel. No post crash fire.
Major structural damage was observed to the left and right wings to include major bending and deformation of both left and right wing struts. The forward and rear wing spar was twisted and deformed above the cockpit.
The tail section was entact and sustained minimal damage. The elevator trim was observed set to a slightly nose down setting and corresponding trim tab was positioned as such.
The handheld radio used by the pilot was observed in the cockpit still tuned and receiving transmissions on 122.800 frequency.
This inspector also noted that the runway was closed with big white x's on the ends of the runways. The closure of the airport was due to an active real estate aquisition on the airport property.
As the FAA filed it
ON 7/4/2017 AT APPROXIMATELY 14:00 EDT, MR JONATHAN E. COXWELL CERT#1771301 DEPARTED REMSEN, NY AIRFIELD (NY57) IN A RECENTLY PUCHASED LUSCOMBE 8A AIRCRAFT REGISTERED AS N45851.
AT APPROXIMATELY 14:30 EDT AN EYE WITNESS DESCRIBED SEEING THE AIRCRAFT APPROACHING NY57 FOR A LANDING ON RWY 9 HEADING IN AN EAST DIRECTION. WHILE AT AN UNSPECIFIED LOW ALTITUDE AND APPROXIMATELY 200 YRDS SHORT OF RUNWAY THE AIRCRAFT ABRUPTLY NOSED TOWARD THE GROUND CRASHING INTO A FIELD.
THE EYE WITNESS REPORTED THE CRASH TO 911 AT APPROXIMATELY 14:38 EDT. FIRST RESPONDERS AND PARAMEDICS ATTEMPTED TO RESUSCITATE MR COXWELL WHO DID NOT SURVIVE HIS INJURIES FROM THE CRASH, TIME OF DEATH WAS CALLED AT 15:10 EDT.
THIS INSPECTOR ARRIVED ON SCENE AT APPROXIMATELY 17:30 EDT. INITIAL EVALUATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED SUBSTANTIAL IMPACT DAMAGE TO THE LEADING EDGE OF BOTH WINGS, ENGINE AND ENGINE COWLING, CONSISTANT WITH A STEEP ANGLE OF IMPACT BEGINNING WITH INITIAL IMPACT OF THE LEFT WING, FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY THE PROPELLER, SPINNER AND RIGHT WING. THE FUSALAGE CAME TO REST ON IT'S WHEELS POINTING ROUGHLY IN A 290 DEGREE DIRECTION. PROPELLER DAMAGE WAS OBSERVED AS VERY MINOR WITH VIRTUALLY NO LONGITUDINAL BENDING OF THE BLADES. ONE BLADE WAS OBSERVED WITH MUD PACKED ON THE FACE NEAR THE TIP WITH LONGITUDINAL SCTRATCHES AND ABRASIONS ON THE BACK OF THE BLADE. MINIMAL SMALL DENTS WERE PRESENT ON THE LEADING EDGE OF THE SAME BLADE ONLY AT THE OUTER MOST 6 INCHES. THE OPPOSITE BLADE HAD NO APPARENT DAMAGE WITH ONLY MUD STAINS ON THE BACK OF THE BLADE. PROPELLER DAMAGE IS CONSISTANT WITH VERY LOW PROPELLER ROTATION AND MINIMAL ENGINE POWER AT IMPACT.
INSTRUMENT PANEL AND WINDSCREEN WERE SMASHED AND BROKEN. THE FUEL TANK LOCATED IN THE UPPER REAR OF COCKPIT WAS OBSERVED SLIGHTLY WARPED AND CRACKED. SOME FUEL WAS LEAKING FROM THE BOTTOM OF TANK AND THE ODOR WAS CONSISTANT WITH LEADED AVIATION FUEL. NO POST CRASH FIRE.
MAJOR STRUCTURAL DAMAGE WAS OBSERVED TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT WINGS TO INCLUDE MAJOR BENDING AND DEFORMATION OF BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT WING STRUTS. THE FORWARD AND REAR WING SPAR WAS TWISTED AND DEFORMED ABOVE THE COCKPIT.
THE TAIL SECTION WAS ENTACT AND SUSTAINED MINIMAL DAMAGE. THE ELEVATOR TRIM WAS OBSERVED SET TO A SLIGHTLY NOSE DOWN SETTING AND CORRESPONDING TRIM TAB WAS POSITIONED AS SUCH.
THE HANDHELD RADIO USED BY THE PILOT WAS OBSERVED IN THE COCKPIT STILL TUNED AND RECEIVING TRANSMISSIONS ON 122.800 FREQUENCY.
THIS INSPECTOR ALSO NOTED THAT THE RUNWAY WAS CLOSED WITH BIG WHITE X'S ON THE ENDS OF THE RUNWAYS. THE CLOSURE OF THE AIRPORT WAS DUE TO AN ACTIVE REAL ESTATE AQUISITION ON THE AIRPORT PROPERTY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.