What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On March 23, 2019 at 1030 eastern, a Piper PA-12 aircraft, N2733M, registered to and operated by a private pilot, received substantial damage when it impacted a runway marker cone and a flag pole during landing at Canadian Lakes Airport (0C5), Mecosta county, Michigan. Both the pilot and single passenger were uninjured. Visual meteorological conditions and very 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 local flight originated from the paul c. miller airport (8D4), sparta, Michigan at approximately 0900L.
According to the pilot, he was landing to the north on the 3,800 foot grass runway, when the aircraft started to drift to the right. Before the pilot could react, the tundra tire equipped right main landing gear struck a runway marker cone mid-field. Following the impact the aircraft continued to drift to the right until the right wing made contact with a steel flag pole approximately 300 feet from the initial impact point. The aircraft then spun 180 degrees and came to rest approximately 50 feet from the broken flag pole. Both the pilot and passenger were able to egress from the wreckage without injury. Upon investigation the aircraft was found with major damage to the right wing with aft impact damage mid length twisting the wingtip 90 degrees up. The right fuel tank had been breached and a strong odor of avgas could be detected. The local fire department had responded and sprayed the wreckage with afff. The right main landing gear was buckled and folded outward. The left wing struts were also buckled with the wingtip also showing signs of impact damage. The main fuselage remained intact as well as the vertical and horizontal stabilizers. The propeller tips showed signs of impact scratching with aft bending. There was no post-crash fire. The pilot also stated there were no mechanical issues with the aircraft prior to the accident.
Weather report at krqb airport at 1455 UTC was: wind 250 degrees at 4 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, clear, temp 0 dew point 7 and altimeter 3029.
As the FAA filed it
ON MARCH 23, 2019 AT 1030 EASTERN, A PIPER PA-12 AIRCRAFT, N2733M, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY A PRIVATE PILOT, RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT IMPACTED A RUNWAY MARKER CONE AND A FLAG POLE DURING LANDING AT CANADIAN LAKES AIRPORT (0C5), MECOSTA COUNTY, MICHIGAN. BOTH THE PILOT AND SINGLE PASSENGER WERE UNINJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AND VERY 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 LOCAL FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE PAUL C. MILLER AIRPORT (8D4), SPARTA, MICHIGAN AT APPROXIMATELY 0900L.
ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE WAS LANDING TO THE NORTH ON THE 3,800 FOOT GRASS RUNWAY, WHEN THE AIRCRAFT STARTED TO DRIFT TO THE RIGHT. BEFORE THE PILOT COULD REACT, THE TUNDRA TIRE EQUIPPED RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR STRUCK A RUNWAY MARKER CONE MID-FIELD. FOLLOWING THE IMPACT THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO DRIFT TO THE RIGHT UNTIL THE RIGHT WING MADE CONTACT WITH A STEEL FLAG POLE APPROXIMATELY 300 FEET FROM THE INITIAL IMPACT POINT. THE AIRCRAFT THEN SPUN 180 DEGREES AND CAME TO REST APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET FROM THE BROKEN FLAG POLE. BOTH THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE ABLE TO EGRESS FROM THE WRECKAGE WITHOUT INJURY. UPON INVESTIGATION THE AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND WITH MAJOR DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT WING WITH AFT IMPACT DAMAGE MID LENGTH TWISTING THE WINGTIP 90 DEGREES UP. THE RIGHT FUEL TANK HAD BEEN BREACHED AND A STRONG ODOR OF AVGAS COULD BE DETECTED. THE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT HAD RESPONDED AND SPRAYED THE WRECKAGE WITH AFFF. THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR WAS BUCKLED AND FOLDED OUTWARD. THE LEFT WING STRUTS WERE ALSO BUCKLED WITH THE WINGTIP ALSO SHOWING SIGNS OF IMPACT DAMAGE. THE MAIN FUSELAGE REMAINED INTACT AS WELL AS THE VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL STABILIZERS. THE PROPELLER TIPS SHOWED SIGNS OF IMPACT SCRATCHING WITH AFT BENDING. THERE WAS NO POST-CRASH FIRE. THE PILOT ALSO STATED THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL ISSUES WITH THE AIRCRAFT PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT.
WEATHER REPORT AT KRQB AIRPORT AT 1455 UTC WAS: WIND 250 DEGREES AT 4 KNOTS, VISIBILITY 10 STATUTE MILES, CLEAR, TEMP 0 DEW POINT 7 AND ALTIMETER 3029.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.