What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On March 22, 2018 at 1830 eastern daylight time, an experimental homebuilt Mills S1L aircraft, N197X, registered to and operated by an airline transport pilot, received substantial damage when it struck power lines while on short final to land at the pilots? Private grass runway near Dewitt, Michigan. Visual meteorological conditions and calm winds prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations (CFR) part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot sustained fatal injuries. The local flight originated from the owosso township airport (rnp) owosso, Michigan at approximately 1810L.
On-scene investigation revealed the aircraft wreckage to be setting upright near the edge of a dirt roadway on a magnetic heading of 270°. All portions of the aircraft were located within the impact area. The main landing gear was collapsed and pushed rearward. A 20 foot section of power line wire was imbedded within the left wing root. Both wings showed signs of leading edge impact damage. The engine was broken free from three of the four engine mounts with the firewall compressed and crushed aft. The cockpit canopy was found on the right side of the aircraft still attached at its hinge points. The instrument panel, fuel tank, and rudder pedals were all displaced aft into the cockpit area by impact forces. Indications of crushing were found in all areas of the cockpit aft of the pilot?s seat forward with an approximate 45° nose down impact angle. The floor just forward of the control stick was folded downward at a 75° angle due to buckling of the fuselage . A four-point restraint system was installed in the aircraft and all straps had been cut by rescue personnel. Fire fighters also cut the right side of the fuselage frame and panel to extricate the pilot. There was no post-crash fire.
One wooden propeller blade was broken near the hub at almost a 90° angle and was found within feet of the engine the other blade remained attached. Neither blade showed leading edge impact damage. Engine control continuity was established and all engine components were found within the impact area. Compression was detected in all cylinders but ignition spark could not be determined. The aluminum fuel tank was ruptured with no visible fuel inside although the odor of fuel was detected at the time of investigation. All flight control continuity was established.
The 1,800 foot grass strip is located on the pilots property and has a magnetic heading of 280° with trees on both the north and south sides. The east approach end of the runway encompasses a plowed corn field, power lines, and scattered small trees bordering a north/south dirt road at the edge of the runway. The power line poles are located on both sides of the extended centerline of the runway approximately 150 feet from the threshold edge. The aircraft broke the top three of five wires between the two poles. As measured by power company technicians, the top wire was located 34 feet 10 inches above the ground.
Weather reported from lansing, MI (15 miles southeast of accident site): 2253Z, winds 280° at 10, clear sky, temp. 6, dew point -11, and altimeter 30.22.
As the FAA filed it
ON MARCH 22, 2018 AT 1830 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, AN EXPERIMENTAL HOMEBUILT MILLS S1L AIRCRAFT, N197X, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY AN AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT, RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT STRUCK POWER LINES WHILE ON SHORT FINAL TO LAND AT THE PILOTS? PRIVATE GRASS RUNWAY NEAR DEWITT, MICHIGAN. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AND CALM WINDS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91 WITHOUT A FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. THE LOCAL FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE OWOSSO TOWNSHIP AIRPORT (RNP) OWOSSO, MICHIGAN AT APPROXIMATELY 1810L.
ON-SCENE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE TO BE SETTING UPRIGHT NEAR THE EDGE OF A DIRT ROADWAY ON A MAGNETIC HEADING OF 270°. ALL PORTIONS OF THE AIRCRAFT WERE LOCATED WITHIN THE IMPACT AREA. THE MAIN LANDING GEAR WAS COLLAPSED AND PUSHED REARWARD. A 20 FOOT SECTION OF POWER LINE WIRE WAS IMBEDDED WITHIN THE LEFT WING ROOT. BOTH WINGS SHOWED SIGNS OF LEADING EDGE IMPACT DAMAGE. THE ENGINE WAS BROKEN FREE FROM THREE OF THE FOUR ENGINE MOUNTS WITH THE FIREWALL COMPRESSED AND CRUSHED AFT. THE COCKPIT CANOPY WAS FOUND ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT STILL ATTACHED AT ITS HINGE POINTS. THE INSTRUMENT PANEL, FUEL TANK, AND RUDDER PEDALS WERE ALL DISPLACED AFT INTO THE COCKPIT AREA BY IMPACT FORCES. INDICATIONS OF CRUSHING WERE FOUND IN ALL AREAS OF THE COCKPIT AFT OF THE PILOT?S SEAT FORWARD WITH AN APPROXIMATE 45° NOSE DOWN IMPACT ANGLE. THE FLOOR JUST FORWARD OF THE CONTROL STICK WAS FOLDED DOWNWARD AT A 75° ANGLE DUE TO BUCKLING OF THE FUSELAGE . A FOUR-POINT RESTRAINT SYSTEM WAS INSTALLED IN THE AIRCRAFT AND ALL STRAPS HAD BEEN CUT BY RESCUE PERSONNEL. FIRE FIGHTERS ALSO CUT THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE FUSELAGE FRAME AND PANEL TO EXTRICATE THE PILOT. THERE WAS NO POST-CRASH FIRE.
ONE WOODEN PROPELLER BLADE WAS BROKEN NEAR THE HUB AT ALMOST A 90° ANGLE AND WAS FOUND WITHIN FEET OF THE ENGINE THE OTHER BLADE REMAINED ATTACHED. NEITHER BLADE SHOWED LEADING EDGE IMPACT DAMAGE. ENGINE CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED AND ALL ENGINE COMPONENTS WERE FOUND WITHIN THE IMPACT AREA. COMPRESSION WAS DETECTED IN ALL CYLINDERS BUT IGNITION SPARK COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. THE ALUMINUM FUEL TANK WAS RUPTURED WITH NO VISIBLE FUEL INSIDE ALTHOUGH THE ODOR OF FUEL WAS DETECTED AT THE TIME OF INVESTIGATION. ALL FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED.
THE 1,800 FOOT GRASS STRIP IS LOCATED ON THE PILOTS PROPERTY AND HAS A MAGNETIC HEADING OF 280° WITH TREES ON BOTH THE NORTH AND SOUTH SIDES. THE EAST APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY ENCOMPASSES A PLOWED CORN FIELD, POWER LINES, AND SCATTERED SMALL TREES BORDERING A NORTH/SOUTH DIRT ROAD AT THE EDGE OF THE RUNWAY. THE POWER LINE POLES ARE LOCATED ON BOTH SIDES OF THE EXTENDED CENTERLINE OF THE RUNWAY APPROXIMATELY 150 FEET FROM THE THRESHOLD EDGE. THE AIRCRAFT BROKE THE TOP THREE OF FIVE WIRES BETWEEN THE TWO POLES. AS MEASURED BY POWER COMPANY TECHNICIANS, THE TOP WIRE WAS LOCATED 34 FEET 10 INCHES ABOVE THE GROUND.
WEATHER REPORTED FROM LANSING, MI (15 MILES SOUTHEAST OF ACCIDENT SITE): 2253Z, WINDS 280° AT 10, CLEAR SKY, TEMP. 6, DEW POINT -11, AND ALTIMETER 30.22.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.