What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft landed gear up in the north bound lanes of federal highway and came to rest pointing south east. Examination of the road way revealed ground scares on the south bound lanes progressing through the grass center median and continuing across the north bound lane in a southeast direction and ending at the location were the aircraft came to rest. Debris found on the grass median included a nose gear door and a waste tube. There were three souls on board and there were no injuries.
Pilot stated he had two passengers on board for a sightseeing tour. He departed witham field airport (ksua) south along the beach at 900 AGL. He turned north at 1200 AGL. And at that point he lost oil pressure and the engine quit. He turned right and was able to go under the power lines that run parallel to federal highway going east. He made a partial right turn before he contacted the roadway. He stated that intentionally landed gear up to reduce the landing distance and he partially put the gear in the down position in an attempt to stop the aircraft and avoid going into the woods on the east side of the roadway.
Preliminary examination of the engine by representative for Continental motors revealed a fracture of the crankshaft.
SDR submitted #2019FA0000314
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT LANDED GEAR UP IN THE NORTH BOUND LANES OF FEDERAL HIGHWAY AND CAME TO REST POINTING SOUTH EAST. EXAMINATION OF THE ROAD WAY REVEALED GROUND SCARES ON THE SOUTH BOUND LANES PROGRESSING THROUGH THE GRASS CENTER MEDIAN AND CONTINUING ACROSS THE NORTH BOUND LANE IN A SOUTHEAST DIRECTION AND ENDING AT THE LOCATION WERE THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST. DEBRIS FOUND ON THE GRASS MEDIAN INCLUDED A NOSE GEAR DOOR AND A WASTE TUBE. THERE WERE THREE SOULS ON BOARD AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES.
PILOT STATED HE HAD TWO PASSENGERS ON BOARD FOR A SIGHTSEEING TOUR. HE DEPARTED WITHAM FIELD AIRPORT (KSUA) SOUTH ALONG THE BEACH AT 900 AGL. HE TURNED NORTH AT 1200 AGL. AND AT THAT POINT HE LOST OIL PRESSURE AND THE ENGINE QUIT. HE TURNED RIGHT AND WAS ABLE TO GO UNDER THE POWER LINES THAT RUN PARALLEL TO FEDERAL HIGHWAY GOING EAST. HE MADE A PARTIAL RIGHT TURN BEFORE HE CONTACTED THE ROADWAY. HE STATED THAT INTENTIONALLY LANDED GEAR UP TO REDUCE THE LANDING DISTANCE AND HE PARTIALLY PUT THE GEAR IN THE DOWN POSITION IN AN ATTEMPT TO STOP THE AIRCRAFT AND AVOID GOING INTO THE WOODS ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE ROADWAY.
PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE BY REPRESENTATIVE FOR CONTINENTAL MOTORS REVEALED A FRACTURE OF THE CRANKSHAFT.
SDR SUBMITTED #2019FA0000314
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.