What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On may 28, 2018, at approximately 0915 central daylight time, a private pilot with a passenger executed an off-airport emergency landing coming to rest in a ditch approximately 1 mile west of Tekamah, Nebraska. The accident substantially damaged an Aeronca 0-58B.
Weather report from ktqe, at 0854L winds westerly 3KTS, 10 miles visibility, few clouds at 8500', temp 79, dew point 64 relative humidity 60%, altimiter 29.92.
The following sequence of events came from the pilot, passenger and witness statements.
Private pilot took off from his private strip at approximately 0700 and flew solo to Tekamah municipal airport, Nebraska (ktqe). He filled with gas, attached an American flag to both the left and right wing lift strut, and loaded his passenger. They took off from ktqe at approximately 0750 and flew over a memorial day ceremony at the Tekamah cemetary.
Following the fly over, they flew over summit lake and did some sightseeing prior to landing at the pilots private strip. At approximately 0830, they took off to fly over another memorial day ceremony at the cemetary in craig, Nebraska. During this flyover, the pilot noticed the engine beginning to run rough, but still maintaining full RPM.
Transiting back to ktqe, the engine began loosing power, with the max RPM getting down to approximately 1500 the last time the pilot noted it before impact. Having lost altitude, he was attempting to climb and make it over the treeline in front of him, as he thought they could make it back to ktqe. He does not recall his airspeed or altitude at this point, he checked he had full throttle and was trying to climb. He yelled a warning to his passenger just prior to impact, but does not recall how he went from flying to coming to rest in the ditch.
First responders found pieces of the shattered propeller in the field adjacent to the ditch where the aircraft crashed. There was no scoring or other indications of impact on the ground prior to the final resting place of the aircraft that could be found. First responder vehicles and people had driven and walked over the surrounding area to rescue the pilot and passenger after crashing.
Both pilot and passenger were transported to memorial community hospital in blair, Nebraska. The passenger was released the same day with cuts, bruises and cracked ribs. The pilot was transferred the same day to university of Nebraska medical center in omaha, Nebraska, where he remained for four days, with injuries to the head, face, and body. He was released with no serious complications.
As the FAA filed it
ON MAY 28, 2018, AT APPROXIMATELY 0915 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A PRIVATE PILOT WITH A PASSENGER EXECUTED AN OFF-AIRPORT EMERGENCY LANDING COMING TO REST IN A DITCH APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE WEST OF TEKAMAH, NEBRASKA. THE ACCIDENT SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AN AERONCA 0-58B.
WEATHER REPORT FROM KTQE, AT 0854L WINDS WESTERLY 3KTS, 10 MILES VISIBILITY, FEW CLOUDS AT 8500', TEMP 79, DEW POINT 64 RELATIVE HUMIDITY 60%, ALTIMITER 29.92.
THE FOLLOWING SEQUENCE OF EVENTS CAME FROM THE PILOT, PASSENGER AND WITNESS STATEMENTS.
PRIVATE PILOT TOOK OFF FROM HIS PRIVATE STRIP AT APPROXIMATELY 0700 AND FLEW SOLO TO TEKAMAH MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, NEBRASKA (KTQE). HE FILLED WITH GAS, ATTACHED AN AMERICAN FLAG TO BOTH THE LEFT AND RIGHT WING LIFT STRUT, AND LOADED HIS PASSENGER. THEY TOOK OFF FROM KTQE AT APPROXIMATELY 0750 AND FLEW OVER A MEMORIAL DAY CEREMONY AT THE TEKAMAH CEMETARY.
FOLLOWING THE FLY OVER, THEY FLEW OVER SUMMIT LAKE AND DID SOME SIGHTSEEING PRIOR TO LANDING AT THE PILOTS PRIVATE STRIP. AT APPROXIMATELY 0830, THEY TOOK OFF TO FLY OVER ANOTHER MEMORIAL DAY CEREMONY AT THE CEMETARY IN CRAIG, NEBRASKA. DURING THIS FLYOVER, THE PILOT NOTICED THE ENGINE BEGINNING TO RUN ROUGH, BUT STILL MAINTAINING FULL RPM.
TRANSITING BACK TO KTQE, THE ENGINE BEGAN LOOSING POWER, WITH THE MAX RPM GETTING DOWN TO APPROXIMATELY 1500 THE LAST TIME THE PILOT NOTED IT BEFORE IMPACT. HAVING LOST ALTITUDE, HE WAS ATTEMPTING TO CLIMB AND MAKE IT OVER THE TREELINE IN FRONT OF HIM, AS HE THOUGHT THEY COULD MAKE IT BACK TO KTQE. HE DOES NOT RECALL HIS AIRSPEED OR ALTITUDE AT THIS POINT, HE CHECKED HE HAD FULL THROTTLE AND WAS TRYING TO CLIMB. HE YELLED A WARNING TO HIS PASSENGER JUST PRIOR TO IMPACT, BUT DOES NOT RECALL HOW HE WENT FROM FLYING TO COMING TO REST IN THE DITCH.
FIRST RESPONDERS FOUND PIECES OF THE SHATTERED PROPELLER IN THE FIELD ADJACENT TO THE DITCH WHERE THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED. THERE WAS NO SCORING OR OTHER INDICATIONS OF IMPACT ON THE GROUND PRIOR TO THE FINAL RESTING PLACE OF THE AIRCRAFT THAT COULD BE FOUND. FIRST RESPONDER VEHICLES AND PEOPLE HAD DRIVEN AND WALKED OVER THE SURROUNDING AREA TO RESCUE THE PILOT AND PASSENGER AFTER CRASHING.
BOTH PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE TRANSPORTED TO MEMORIAL COMMUNITY HOSPITAL IN BLAIR, NEBRASKA. THE PASSENGER WAS RELEASED THE SAME DAY WITH CUTS, BRUISES AND CRACKED RIBS. THE PILOT WAS TRANSFERRED THE SAME DAY TO UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA MEDICAL CENTER IN OMAHA, NEBRASKA, WHERE HE REMAINED FOR FOUR DAYS, WITH INJURIES TO THE HEAD, FACE, AND BODY. HE WAS RELEASED WITH NO SERIOUS COMPLICATIONS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.