What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On may 15, 2020 at 1830 CDT, N1JA a Cessna P210 was destroyed when it descended into trees while on final approach to runway 29 to Burlington Municipal Airport (kbuu), Burlington, Wisconsin. The pilot in command was privacy data omitted holder of commercial pilot certificate privacy data omitted was fatally injured and was the only person on board the aircraft.
Earlier in the day, N1JA departed west bend municipal airport (ketb), west bend, Wisconsin at 1250 CDT and flew to kbuu landing at 1310 for avionic work. The pilot refueled and departed kbuu at 1630 CDT ADS-B shows the aircraft departing on a north heading but then returning to kbuu landing at 1638 CDT. Through witness statement by the mechanic that greeted him after shutdown, the pilot stated that the his was not slaving properly but worked long enough to line up on the runway heading on takeoff but froze. The mechanic looked under the instrument panel and did not see anything abnormal.
The pilot and the mechanic ran the airplane and taxied in order to troubleshoot the compass system. The airplane started up and ran smoothly, it was noticed that the ammeter was discharging. After shutting the aircraft down the mechanic removed the pilots side engine cowling and found that the alternator belt was broken. The co-pilots side engine cowling was removed and the mechanic installed a spare alternator belt supplied by the pilot. The mechanic re-secured the right and left engine cowlings and put his tools away.
At roughly 1800 CDT the pilot was observed taxiing out and conducting a runnup which witnesses describe as normal. His takeoff was observed by the mechanic as normal right up to the point when he should have raised the landing gear, which was left extended and the climb was minimal. A right turn to the north was made and ADS-B data indicated that he was slowly climb to 1200 MSL (400 AGL) while entering downwind to return to kbuu. The pilot of N1JA radioed that he was turning downwind to return to kbuu, a pilot in another airplane above N1JA also on downwind saw the aircraft ?very low? And gave way to follow N1JA.
N1JA made a normal radio call turning final for runway 29 at the same time the mechanic saw the aircraft on final approach making a quick pitch up followed by a descent into the trees. Another witness saw the aircraft coming toward him and noted that the aircraft did a hard jerk up and then nosed down into the trees in a slight right roll.
As the FAA filed it
ON MAY 15, 2020 AT 1830 CDT, N1JA A CESSNA P210 WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT DESCENDED INTO TREES WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 29 TO BURLINGTON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (KBUU), BURLINGTON, WISCONSIN. THE PILOT IN COMMAND WAS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HOLDER OF COMMERCIAL PILOT CERTIFICATE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS FATALLY INJURED AND WAS THE ONLY PERSON ON BOARD THE AIRCRAFT.
EARLIER IN THE DAY, N1JA DEPARTED WEST BEND MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (KETB), WEST BEND, WISCONSIN AT 1250 CDT AND FLEW TO KBUU LANDING AT 1310 FOR AVIONIC WORK. THE PILOT REFUELED AND DEPARTED KBUU AT 1630 CDT ADS-B SHOWS THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTING ON A NORTH HEADING BUT THEN RETURNING TO KBUU LANDING AT 1638 CDT. THROUGH WITNESS STATEMENT BY THE MECHANIC THAT GREETED HIM AFTER SHUTDOWN, THE PILOT STATED THAT THE HIS WAS NOT SLAVING PROPERLY BUT WORKED LONG ENOUGH TO LINE UP ON THE RUNWAY HEADING ON TAKEOFF BUT FROZE. THE MECHANIC LOOKED UNDER THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND DID NOT SEE ANYTHING ABNORMAL.
THE PILOT AND THE MECHANIC RAN THE AIRPLANE AND TAXIED IN ORDER TO TROUBLESHOOT THE COMPASS SYSTEM. THE AIRPLANE STARTED UP AND RAN SMOOTHLY, IT WAS NOTICED THAT THE AMMETER WAS DISCHARGING. AFTER SHUTTING THE AIRCRAFT DOWN THE MECHANIC REMOVED THE PILOTS SIDE ENGINE COWLING AND FOUND THAT THE ALTERNATOR BELT WAS BROKEN. THE CO-PILOTS SIDE ENGINE COWLING WAS REMOVED AND THE MECHANIC INSTALLED A SPARE ALTERNATOR BELT SUPPLIED BY THE PILOT. THE MECHANIC RE-SECURED THE RIGHT AND LEFT ENGINE COWLINGS AND PUT HIS TOOLS AWAY.
AT ROUGHLY 1800 CDT THE PILOT WAS OBSERVED TAXIING OUT AND CONDUCTING A RUNNUP WHICH WITNESSES DESCRIBE AS NORMAL. HIS TAKEOFF WAS OBSERVED BY THE MECHANIC AS NORMAL RIGHT UP TO THE POINT WHEN HE SHOULD HAVE RAISED THE LANDING GEAR, WHICH WAS LEFT EXTENDED AND THE CLIMB WAS MINIMAL. A RIGHT TURN TO THE NORTH WAS MADE AND ADS-B DATA INDICATED THAT HE WAS SLOWLY CLIMB TO 1200 MSL (400 AGL) WHILE ENTERING DOWNWIND TO RETURN TO KBUU. THE PILOT OF N1JA RADIOED THAT HE WAS TURNING DOWNWIND TO RETURN TO KBUU, A PILOT IN ANOTHER AIRPLANE ABOVE N1JA ALSO ON DOWNWIND SAW THE AIRCRAFT ?VERY LOW? AND GAVE WAY TO FOLLOW N1JA.
N1JA MADE A NORMAL RADIO CALL TURNING FINAL FOR RUNWAY 29 AT THE SAME TIME THE MECHANIC SAW THE AIRCRAFT ON FINAL APPROACH MAKING A QUICK PITCH UP FOLLOWED BY A DESCENT INTO THE TREES. ANOTHER WITNESS SAW THE AIRCRAFT COMING TOWARD HIM AND NOTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT DID A HARD JERK UP AND THEN NOSED DOWN INTO THE TREES IN A SLIGHT RIGHT ROLL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N1JA · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.