What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 21, 2019 at approximately 0700 eastern, an Ayres thrush S2R-G10 aircraft, N766BF, registered to and operated by a commercial applicator service, received substantial damage during a forced landing shortly after takeoff from a private airstrip 4 miles north of Breckenridge, Michigan. Visual meteorological conditions and light winds prevailed at the time of the accident. The commercial application flight was being conducted under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations (CFR) part 137 without a flight plan. The pilot was not injured. The accident flight was the second loaded flight of the day.
According to the pilot the takeoff appeared normal as he departed from the 2500 foot grass strip. At approximately 100 feet above ground level the pilot stated he noticed the exhaust gas temperature (EGT) spike to red line, he attempted to reduce power and immediately the engine lost all power. The pilot further stated he turned the ignitor switch on and was able to lower the flaps prior to impact in a field of standing corn. Once the aircraft came to rest the pilot shut down all electrical and made egress unassisted.
The aircraft sets in a field of 6-8 foot standing corn on a heading of 220 degrees, 1400 feet from the runway end, in an upright position. Measured distance from first indication of impact with corn to final location is 70 feet. The cockpit and tail fuselage remain intact. Both wings remain connected to the fuselage with leading edge and skin damage due to impact. The flaps are in the full down position. Both main landing gear are collapsed and folded under each respective wing. Control continuity was established to all control surfaces. The upper half of the hopper was undamaged but the hopper gate and all associated spray equipment was damaged by ground impact. The engine cowl shows compression damage. All four propeller blades remained attached and bent aft around the engine cowl. All blades show minor signs of cord wise scratching. Engine and propeller controls were functioned and remained attached to respective points. There is no evidence of a post-crash fire.
Weather report at kamn airport at the approximate time of the accident was: wind 340 degrees at 4 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, clear, temp 21 dew point 20 and altimeter 29.95.
The aircraft and engine have been secured pending further investigation by NTSB and Honeywell representatives
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 21, 2019 AT APPROXIMATELY 0700 EASTERN, AN AYRES THRUSH S2R-G10 AIRCRAFT, N766BF, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY A COMMERCIAL APPLICATOR SERVICE, RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING A FORCED LANDING SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF FROM A PRIVATE AIRSTRIP 4 MILES NORTH OF BRECKENRIDGE, MICHIGAN. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AND LIGHT WINDS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE COMMERCIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 137 WITHOUT A FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT WAS THE SECOND LOADED FLIGHT OF THE DAY.
ACCORDING TO THE PILOT THE TAKEOFF APPEARED NORMAL AS HE DEPARTED FROM THE 2500 FOOT GRASS STRIP. AT APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL THE PILOT STATED HE NOTICED THE EXHAUST GAS TEMPERATURE (EGT) SPIKE TO RED LINE, HE ATTEMPTED TO REDUCE POWER AND IMMEDIATELY THE ENGINE LOST ALL POWER. THE PILOT FURTHER STATED HE TURNED THE IGNITOR SWITCH ON AND WAS ABLE TO LOWER THE FLAPS PRIOR TO IMPACT IN A FIELD OF STANDING CORN. ONCE THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST THE PILOT SHUT DOWN ALL ELECTRICAL AND MADE EGRESS UNASSISTED.
THE AIRCRAFT SETS IN A FIELD OF 6-8 FOOT STANDING CORN ON A HEADING OF 220 DEGREES, 1400 FEET FROM THE RUNWAY END, IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION. MEASURED DISTANCE FROM FIRST INDICATION OF IMPACT WITH CORN TO FINAL LOCATION IS 70 FEET. THE COCKPIT AND TAIL FUSELAGE REMAIN INTACT. BOTH WINGS REMAIN CONNECTED TO THE FUSELAGE WITH LEADING EDGE AND SKIN DAMAGE DUE TO IMPACT. THE FLAPS ARE IN THE FULL DOWN POSITION. BOTH MAIN LANDING GEAR ARE COLLAPSED AND FOLDED UNDER EACH RESPECTIVE WING. CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED TO ALL CONTROL SURFACES. THE UPPER HALF OF THE HOPPER WAS UNDAMAGED BUT THE HOPPER GATE AND ALL ASSOCIATED SPRAY EQUIPMENT WAS DAMAGED BY GROUND IMPACT. THE ENGINE COWL SHOWS COMPRESSION DAMAGE. ALL FOUR PROPELLER BLADES REMAINED ATTACHED AND BENT AFT AROUND THE ENGINE COWL. ALL BLADES SHOW MINOR SIGNS OF CORD WISE SCRATCHING. ENGINE AND PROPELLER CONTROLS WERE FUNCTIONED AND REMAINED ATTACHED TO RESPECTIVE POINTS. THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF A POST-CRASH FIRE.
WEATHER REPORT AT KAMN AIRPORT AT THE APPROXIMATE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS: WIND 340 DEGREES AT 4 KNOTS, VISIBILITY 10 STATUTE MILES, CLEAR, TEMP 21 DEW POINT 20 AND ALTIMETER 29.95.
THE AIRCRAFT AND ENGINE HAVE BEEN SECURED PENDING FURTHER INVESTIGATION BY NTSB AND HONEYWELL REPRESENTATIVES
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.