What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 08, 2018 at 0643 eastern daylight time, an experimental Mcintire sky ranger aircraft N4329R, registered to and operated by a sport pilot, received substantial damage when it lost partial power shortly after takeoff and was forced to land on a golf course 600 feet from the departure end of runway 16 at Houghton Lake State Airport (5Y2), Houghton Lake, Michigan. Visual meteorological conditions and light 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, who was the sole occupant, sustained serious injuries. The flight originated from the Houghton Lake State Airport and was the pilots first flight of the day.
According to the pilot, he was departing on runway 16. The takeoff roll seemed normal and the engine was producing normal power. After liftoff, at approximately 200 feet AGL the engine immediately lost partial power with RPM?s dropping from 6200 to 5000. The pilot maintained runway heading while he attempted to trouble-shoot the engine. The pilot found he could not maintain altitude and decided to land in the golf course ahead of him. According to the pilot, the airplane landed ?very hard? In the grass. During the accident sequence, the main gear and nose gear collapsed with the nose and right side tires departing the airframe. The prop struck the ground, fracturing all three blades while both wings were bent downward outboard of the strut attach points. The tail of the aircraft was bent upward just aft of the pilots seat. The pilot remained in the aircraft until rescue units arrived and transported him to a local hospital. The pilot received a laceration to his head and a compression fracture of his spine.
Weather report at (htl) airport at 0953 zulu was: wind 10 knots at 160 degrees, visibility 10 statute miles and clear, temp. 71, altimeter 30.30.
The grass runway surface was dry at the time of the accident.
Investigation found the aircraft moved and secured into a personal hangar. All flight control continuity was confirmed with all parts of the aircraft accounted for. Engine control cables were connected and free, both carburetors had been pulled from their mountings by accident forces but, fuel was found in all lines and both carburetor fuel bowls. Crankshaft freedom and sparkplug conditions could not be inspected at this time because of the aircraft resting on its lower nose cowl. It was found that one wire connector, from the backside of the aircraft master switch, had come off its post and was hanging freely behind the panel. It is unclear if this came free during flight, the accident sequence, or during the extrication of the pilot.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 08, 2018 AT 0643 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, AN EXPERIMENTAL MCINTIRE SKY RANGER AIRCRAFT N4329R, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY A SPORT PILOT, RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT LOST PARTIAL POWER SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF AND WAS FORCED TO LAND ON A GOLF COURSE 600 FEET FROM THE DEPARTURE END OF RUNWAY 16 AT HOUGHTON LAKE STATE AIRPORT (5Y2), HOUGHTON LAKE, MICHIGAN. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AND LIGHT 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, WHO WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT, SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE HOUGHTON LAKE STATE AIRPORT AND WAS THE PILOTS FIRST FLIGHT OF THE DAY.
ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE WAS DEPARTING ON RUNWAY 16. THE TAKEOFF ROLL SEEMED NORMAL AND THE ENGINE WAS PRODUCING NORMAL POWER. AFTER LIFTOFF, AT APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET AGL THE ENGINE IMMEDIATELY LOST PARTIAL POWER WITH RPM?S DROPPING FROM 6200 TO 5000. THE PILOT MAINTAINED RUNWAY HEADING WHILE HE ATTEMPTED TO TROUBLE-SHOOT THE ENGINE. THE PILOT FOUND HE COULD NOT MAINTAIN ALTITUDE AND DECIDED TO LAND IN THE GOLF COURSE AHEAD OF HIM. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE AIRPLANE LANDED ?VERY HARD? IN THE GRASS. DURING THE ACCIDENT SEQUENCE, THE MAIN GEAR AND NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED WITH THE NOSE AND RIGHT SIDE TIRES DEPARTING THE AIRFRAME. THE PROP STRUCK THE GROUND, FRACTURING ALL THREE BLADES WHILE BOTH WINGS WERE BENT DOWNWARD OUTBOARD OF THE STRUT ATTACH POINTS. THE TAIL OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS BENT UPWARD JUST AFT OF THE PILOTS SEAT. THE PILOT REMAINED IN THE AIRCRAFT UNTIL RESCUE UNITS ARRIVED AND TRANSPORTED HIM TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL. THE PILOT RECEIVED A LACERATION TO HIS HEAD AND A COMPRESSION FRACTURE OF HIS SPINE.
WEATHER REPORT AT (HTL) AIRPORT AT 0953 ZULU WAS: WIND 10 KNOTS AT 160 DEGREES, VISIBILITY 10 STATUTE MILES AND CLEAR, TEMP. 71, ALTIMETER 30.30.
THE GRASS RUNWAY SURFACE WAS DRY AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.
INVESTIGATION FOUND THE AIRCRAFT MOVED AND SECURED INTO A PERSONAL HANGAR. ALL FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS CONFIRMED WITH ALL PARTS OF THE AIRCRAFT ACCOUNTED FOR. ENGINE CONTROL CABLES WERE CONNECTED AND FREE, BOTH CARBURETORS HAD BEEN PULLED FROM THEIR MOUNTINGS BY ACCIDENT FORCES BUT, FUEL WAS FOUND IN ALL LINES AND BOTH CARBURETOR FUEL BOWLS. CRANKSHAFT FREEDOM AND SPARKPLUG CONDITIONS COULD NOT BE INSPECTED AT THIS TIME BECAUSE OF THE AIRCRAFT RESTING ON ITS LOWER NOSE COWL. IT WAS FOUND THAT ONE WIRE CONNECTOR, FROM THE BACKSIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT MASTER SWITCH, HAD COME OFF ITS POST AND WAS HANGING FREELY BEHIND THE PANEL. IT IS UNCLEAR IF THIS CAME FREE DURING FLIGHT, THE ACCIDENT SEQUENCE, OR DURING THE EXTRICATION OF THE PILOT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.