What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On Friday, November 01, 2019 at approximately 1635 eastern daylight saving time (2035 z) a 1985 Socata TB-30 epsilon aircraft, N50TB, was substantially damaged during impact with terrain following a loss of power shortly after takeoff from runway 27 at the Kalamazoo/battle creek international airport (azo) Kalamazoo, Michigan. 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, whom was the sole occupant, sustained serious injuries and was transported to a local hospital by ambulance. The local flight originated from the w.k. kellogg airport (btl), battle creek, Michigan.
According to the pilot he had been practicing approaches at azo then landed to refuel. Following refuel, the pilot taxied from the pumps to runway 27 and was cleared for takeoff. The aircraft produced full power during the takeoff sequence and climbed to approximately 300 feet AGL. Shortly after the pilot retracted the landing gear the engine began losing power to the point altitude could no longer be maintained. The pilot declared an emergency with the tower and made the decision to avoid a residential area turning left in an attempt to return to runway 09. During the turn, the pilot realized the runway could not be made and elected to land in the grass adjacent to the runway surface. The aircraft impacted in a wings level attitude with the landing gear retracted. Ground scar shows impact 30 feet northwest of taxiway intersection (f) skidding 400 feet on a heading of 100 degree magnetic, striking a taxiway light and marker sign, finally coming to rest upright on a 160 degree heading. The pilot was able to egress unassisted while airport fire rescue personnel responded.
Investigation found the aircraft intact and upright on its belly with both canopies open. The propeller remained attached to the crank with both blades exhibiting chordwise scratching and aft bending. The engine cowl was buckled and pulled away from the firewall. The left wing leading edge and fuel tank had been breached and showed extensive impact damage. Upper skin of right wing was wrinkled. Wing flaps were found retracted. Tail control surfaces were undamaged. Cockpit interior floor was breached with large amounts of dirt plowed up near the front control stick. Flight and engine control continuity was established. Emergency locator transmitter did function as designed and was turned off by the FAA iic. The aircraft was released to airport operations for secure storage pending further investigation. Weather was not a factor.
As the FAA filed it
ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 01, 2019 AT APPROXIMATELY 1635 EASTERN DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME (2035 Z) A 1985 SOCATA TB-30 EPSILON AIRCRAFT, N50TB, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING IMPACT WITH TERRAIN FOLLOWING A LOSS OF POWER SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF FROM RUNWAY 27 AT THE KALAMAZOO/BATTLE CREEK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (AZO) KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN. 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, WHOM WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT, SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES AND WAS TRANSPORTED TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL BY AMBULANCE. THE LOCAL FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE W.K. KELLOGG AIRPORT (BTL), BATTLE CREEK, MICHIGAN.
ACCORDING TO THE PILOT HE HAD BEEN PRACTICING APPROACHES AT AZO THEN LANDED TO REFUEL. FOLLOWING REFUEL, THE PILOT TAXIED FROM THE PUMPS TO RUNWAY 27 AND WAS CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF. THE AIRCRAFT PRODUCED FULL POWER DURING THE TAKEOFF SEQUENCE AND CLIMBED TO APPROXIMATELY 300 FEET AGL. SHORTLY AFTER THE PILOT RETRACTED THE LANDING GEAR THE ENGINE BEGAN LOSING POWER TO THE POINT ALTITUDE COULD NO LONGER BE MAINTAINED. THE PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY WITH THE TOWER AND MADE THE DECISION TO AVOID A RESIDENTIAL AREA TURNING LEFT IN AN ATTEMPT TO RETURN TO RUNWAY 09. DURING THE TURN, THE PILOT REALIZED THE RUNWAY COULD NOT BE MADE AND ELECTED TO LAND IN THE GRASS ADJACENT TO THE RUNWAY SURFACE. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED IN A WINGS LEVEL ATTITUDE WITH THE LANDING GEAR RETRACTED. GROUND SCAR SHOWS IMPACT 30 FEET NORTHWEST OF TAXIWAY INTERSECTION (F) SKIDDING 400 FEET ON A HEADING OF 100 DEGREE MAGNETIC, STRIKING A TAXIWAY LIGHT AND MARKER SIGN, FINALLY COMING TO REST UPRIGHT ON A 160 DEGREE HEADING. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO EGRESS UNASSISTED WHILE AIRPORT FIRE RESCUE PERSONNEL RESPONDED.
INVESTIGATION FOUND THE AIRCRAFT INTACT AND UPRIGHT ON ITS BELLY WITH BOTH CANOPIES OPEN. THE PROPELLER REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE CRANK WITH BOTH BLADES EXHIBITING CHORDWISE SCRATCHING AND AFT BENDING. THE ENGINE COWL WAS BUCKLED AND PULLED AWAY FROM THE FIREWALL. THE LEFT WING LEADING EDGE AND FUEL TANK HAD BEEN BREACHED AND SHOWED EXTENSIVE IMPACT DAMAGE. UPPER SKIN OF RIGHT WING WAS WRINKLED. WING FLAPS WERE FOUND RETRACTED. TAIL CONTROL SURFACES WERE UNDAMAGED. COCKPIT INTERIOR FLOOR WAS BREACHED WITH LARGE AMOUNTS OF DIRT PLOWED UP NEAR THE FRONT CONTROL STICK. FLIGHT AND ENGINE CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED. EMERGENCY LOCATOR TRANSMITTER DID FUNCTION AS DESIGNED AND WAS TURNED OFF BY THE FAA IIC. THE AIRCRAFT WAS RELEASED TO AIRPORT OPERATIONS FOR SECURE STORAGE PENDING FURTHER INVESTIGATION. WEATHER WAS NOT A FACTOR.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.