What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On may 23, 2020 at 1756 local time, an experimental 2016 James a. williams Pietenpol Aircamper aircraft, N9863Z, registered to and operated by a private pilot, received substantial damage during an aborted landing and subsequent loss of control on runway 06 at the Jack Barstow Municipal Airport (ikw), Midland, Michigan. Visual meteorological conditions and moderate cross 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 pilot and passenger were not injured. The local flight originated from the Jack Barstow airport at approximately 1700L.
According to the pilot he was landing on runway 06 and bounced the aircraft twice. He decided to abort the landing and applied full power. Following the application of power the aircraft would not climb but drifted left off the runway surface and settled into the grass. Once in the grass, the left main gear collapsed allowing the propeller and left wing to contact the ground. Both pilot and passenger egressed from the aircraft unassisted. There was no post-crash fire.
Photographs show the left main landing gear folded under the aircraft and the left wing spar broken at approximate midpoint. Both wood propeller blades are broken and splintered near the tips, indicative of power on impact. Fuselage fabric shows deformity near the landing gear attach points. The pilot reported no mechanical anomalies with the aircraft prior to the accident.
Weather report at kikw airport at the time of the accident was: wind 120 degrees at 8 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, 3,800? Scattered, 6,000? Overcast, temp 23 dew point 15 and altimeter 29.98.
As the FAA filed it
ON MAY 23, 2020 AT 1756 LOCAL TIME, AN EXPERIMENTAL 2016 JAMES A. WILLIAMS PIETENPOL AIRCAMPER AIRCRAFT, N9863Z, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY A PRIVATE PILOT, RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING AN ABORTED LANDING AND SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF CONTROL ON RUNWAY 06 AT THE JACK BARSTOW MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (IKW), MIDLAND, MICHIGAN. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AND MODERATE CROSS 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 PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. THE LOCAL FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE JACK BARSTOW AIRPORT AT APPROXIMATELY 1700L.
ACCORDING TO THE PILOT HE WAS LANDING ON RUNWAY 06 AND BOUNCED THE AIRCRAFT TWICE. HE DECIDED TO ABORT THE LANDING AND APPLIED FULL POWER. FOLLOWING THE APPLICATION OF POWER THE AIRCRAFT WOULD NOT CLIMB BUT DRIFTED LEFT OFF THE RUNWAY SURFACE AND SETTLED INTO THE GRASS. ONCE IN THE GRASS, THE LEFT MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED ALLOWING THE PROPELLER AND LEFT WING TO CONTACT THE GROUND. BOTH PILOT AND PASSENGER EGRESSED FROM THE AIRCRAFT UNASSISTED. THERE WAS NO POST-CRASH FIRE.
PHOTOGRAPHS SHOW THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR FOLDED UNDER THE AIRCRAFT AND THE LEFT WING SPAR BROKEN AT APPROXIMATE MIDPOINT. BOTH WOOD PROPELLER BLADES ARE BROKEN AND SPLINTERED NEAR THE TIPS, INDICATIVE OF POWER ON IMPACT. FUSELAGE FABRIC SHOWS DEFORMITY NEAR THE LANDING GEAR ATTACH POINTS. THE PILOT REPORTED NO MECHANICAL ANOMALIES WITH THE AIRCRAFT PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT.
WEATHER REPORT AT KIKW AIRPORT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS: WIND 120 DEGREES AT 8 KNOTS, VISIBILITY 10 STATUTE MILES, 3,800? SCATTERED, 6,000? OVERCAST, TEMP 23 DEW POINT 15 AND ALTIMETER 29.98.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.