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20181009019659A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Aircraft · Three Rivers, MI · October 9, 2018

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Date
October 9, 2018 · 19:00 local
Place
Three Rivers, MI
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
NONE
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
400 total1 in this make and model10 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

On October 09, 2018 at 1904 LCL, an unregistered/uncertificated kreling super cat aircraft built and piloted by a private pilot sustained substantial damage following an aerodynamic stall shortly after liftoff from a public ultra-light airfield in the city of Three Rivers, Michigan. Visual meteorological conditions and light winds prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted in possible violation of title 14 code of federal regulations (CFR) part 91 and no flight plan was filed. The pilot received serious injuries.

The pilot stated this was the first flight of the aircraft after its building completion. The aircraft took off and climbed to approximately 25 feet AGL, but would not climb sufficiently to clear approaching trees. The pilot elected to land within the remaining field. During the landing sequence, the pilot allowed the airspeed to decay to the point the aircraft sustained an aerodynamic stall. The aircraft impacted in a nose low attitude, spinning 180 degrees, and sustained major damage. The propeller was broken free of the engine crankshaft. The engine and firewall were twisted approximately 20 degrees to the right. Both main landing gear were sheared from the aircraft and both wings were buckled. The cabin floor area was completely breached on the right hand side. Prior to the arrival of local law enforcement, the pilot had been transported to the hospital by his wife.

As the FAA filed it

ON OCTOBER 09, 2018 AT 1904 LCL, AN UNREGISTERED/UNCERTIFICATED KRELING SUPER CAT AIRCRAFT BUILT AND PILOTED BY A PRIVATE PILOT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE FOLLOWING AN AERODYNAMIC STALL SHORTLY AFTER LIFTOFF FROM A PUBLIC ULTRA-LIGHT AIRFIELD IN THE CITY OF THREE RIVERS, MICHIGAN. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AND LIGHT WINDS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED IN POSSIBLE VIOLATION OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91 AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES.

THE PILOT STATED THIS WAS THE FIRST FLIGHT OF THE AIRCRAFT AFTER ITS BUILDING COMPLETION. THE AIRCRAFT TOOK OFF AND CLIMBED TO APPROXIMATELY 25 FEET AGL, BUT WOULD NOT CLIMB SUFFICIENTLY TO CLEAR APPROACHING TREES. THE PILOT ELECTED TO LAND WITHIN THE REMAINING FIELD. DURING THE LANDING SEQUENCE, THE PILOT ALLOWED THE AIRSPEED TO DECAY TO THE POINT THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED AN AERODYNAMIC STALL. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED IN A NOSE LOW ATTITUDE, SPINNING 180 DEGREES, AND SUSTAINED MAJOR DAMAGE. THE PROPELLER WAS BROKEN FREE OF THE ENGINE CRANKSHAFT. THE ENGINE AND FIREWALL WERE TWISTED APPROXIMATELY 20 DEGREES TO THE RIGHT. BOTH MAIN LANDING GEAR WERE SHEARED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND BOTH WINGS WERE BUCKLED. THE CABIN FLOOR AREA WAS COMPLETELY BREACHED ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE. PRIOR TO THE ARRIVAL OF LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT, THE PILOT HAD BEEN TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL BY HIS WIFE.