What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On June 7, 2018, the airman departed from his home base of live oak county (8T6) enroute to sierra blanca regional airport (ksrr).
While flying near concan, Texas, the airman experienced the following events: a drop in manifold pressure, an explosion in the engine compartment, oil discharge, and a fire. It was noted that the order of events is unclear (see the last paragraph of box 43 for additional information).
The airman declared an emergency with del rio approach and was vectored to an airstrip while flying at 8,500 feet. According to the airman's written statement, he had a hard time controlling the aircraft's pitch and glide because it appeared to him that it wanted to pitch up on its own.
Falcon radar data shows the airman entering a modified traffic pattern and a 4-mile final approach at 4,400 feet for annandale ranch airport (2XS7). The airman did not manage to make it to the airport, crashing into trees approximately 0.66NM west of the airport on final.
On impact, the aicraft's left horizontal stabilizer and elevator were sheared off first, followed by the left wing, the left wing tip tank and nosewheel. The right wing, right wing tip tank, fuselage, main gear, and engine/engine compartment remained intact all the way to the final resting position. The damage to the tip tanks and main tanks caused a large fire due to the amount of fuel that was onboard. According to the airman's statement, he was topped off with fuel before departing 8T6. According to the falcon radar date, the aircraft had been flying for a little under an hour from takeoff to impact.
After the impact, the airman managed to evacuate the wreckage and left the area where he was found by a Texas state dps trooper. An aircraft from laughlin afb was dispatched to locate, orbit, and report the final location of the wreckage.
The airman was airlifted to brooke army medical center in san antonio with 2nd and 3rd degree burns to his face, hands, arms, and legs. The airman was never interviewed over the phone or in person due to damage to his vocal cords, so his daughter, assisted with the written statement.
Amended on July 30, 2018:
Received pilot hours and training information. Updated 8020-23 to reflect changes.
October 18, 2019:
An engine teardown was supposed to be performed and the data was to be shared. However, this office has not received any additional information from the NTSB regarding the teardown. The amendment is now closed.
As the FAA filed it
ON JUNE 7, 2018, THE AIRMAN DEPARTED FROM HIS HOME BASE OF LIVE OAK COUNTY (8T6) ENROUTE TO SIERRA BLANCA REGIONAL AIRPORT (KSRR).
WHILE FLYING NEAR CONCAN, TEXAS, THE AIRMAN EXPERIENCED THE FOLLOWING EVENTS: A DROP IN MANIFOLD PRESSURE, AN EXPLOSION IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, OIL DISCHARGE, AND A FIRE. IT WAS NOTED THAT THE ORDER OF EVENTS IS UNCLEAR (SEE THE LAST PARAGRAPH OF BOX 43 FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION).
THE AIRMAN DECLARED AN EMERGENCY WITH DEL RIO APPROACH AND WAS VECTORED TO AN AIRSTRIP WHILE FLYING AT 8,500 FEET. ACCORDING TO THE AIRMAN'S WRITTEN STATEMENT, HE HAD A HARD TIME CONTROLLING THE AIRCRAFT'S PITCH AND GLIDE BECAUSE IT APPEARED TO HIM THAT IT WANTED TO PITCH UP ON ITS OWN.
FALCON RADAR DATA SHOWS THE AIRMAN ENTERING A MODIFIED TRAFFIC PATTERN AND A 4-MILE FINAL APPROACH AT 4,400 FEET FOR ANNANDALE RANCH AIRPORT (2XS7). THE AIRMAN DID NOT MANAGE TO MAKE IT TO THE AIRPORT, CRASHING INTO TREES APPROXIMATELY 0.66NM WEST OF THE AIRPORT ON FINAL.
ON IMPACT, THE AICRAFT'S LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER AND ELEVATOR WERE SHEARED OFF FIRST, FOLLOWED BY THE LEFT WING, THE LEFT WING TIP TANK AND NOSEWHEEL. THE RIGHT WING, RIGHT WING TIP TANK, FUSELAGE, MAIN GEAR, AND ENGINE/ENGINE COMPARTMENT REMAINED INTACT ALL THE WAY TO THE FINAL RESTING POSITION. THE DAMAGE TO THE TIP TANKS AND MAIN TANKS CAUSED A LARGE FIRE DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF FUEL THAT WAS ONBOARD. ACCORDING TO THE AIRMAN'S STATEMENT, HE WAS TOPPED OFF WITH FUEL BEFORE DEPARTING 8T6. ACCORDING TO THE FALCON RADAR DATE, THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN FLYING FOR A LITTLE UNDER AN HOUR FROM TAKEOFF TO IMPACT.
AFTER THE IMPACT, THE AIRMAN MANAGED TO EVACUATE THE WRECKAGE AND LEFT THE AREA WHERE HE WAS FOUND BY A TEXAS STATE DPS TROOPER. AN AIRCRAFT FROM LAUGHLIN AFB WAS DISPATCHED TO LOCATE, ORBIT, AND REPORT THE FINAL LOCATION OF THE WRECKAGE.
THE AIRMAN WAS AIRLIFTED TO BROOKE ARMY MEDICAL CENTER IN SAN ANTONIO WITH 2ND AND 3RD DEGREE BURNS TO HIS FACE, HANDS, ARMS, AND LEGS. THE AIRMAN WAS NEVER INTERVIEWED OVER THE PHONE OR IN PERSON DUE TO DAMAGE TO HIS VOCAL CORDS, SO HIS DAUGHTER, ASSISTED WITH THE WRITTEN STATEMENT.
AMENDED ON JULY 30, 2018:
RECEIVED PILOT HOURS AND TRAINING INFORMATION. UPDATED 8020-23 TO REFLECT CHANGES.
OCTOBER 18, 2019:
AN ENGINE TEARDOWN WAS SUPPOSED TO BE PERFORMED AND THE DATA WAS TO BE SHARED. HOWEVER, THIS OFFICE HAS NOT RECEIVED ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM THE NTSB REGARDING THE TEARDOWN. THE AMENDMENT IS NOW CLOSED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.