# Accident 20200523001909A: James A Williams PIETENPOL AIRCAMPER, Midland, MI, May 23, 2020

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 23, 2020, 17:56 local time
- Place: Midland, MI
- Airport: Jack Barstow Municipal
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 43.6631° N, 84.2614° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=43.6631&lon=-84.2614&mi=10
- Aircraft: N9863Z, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N9863Z) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: James A Williams PIETENPOL AIRCAMPER (registry code 05634G1, https://openairdocs.org/model/james-a-williams-pietenpol-aircamper) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental A-65 series (registry code 17324, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-a-65-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: JAMES A WILLIAMS PIETENPOL AIRCAMPER
- Reported engine: CONT MOTOR A-65 SER
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 500 total, 152 in this make and model, 7 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN20CA191](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN20CA191) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20200523001909A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB CEN20CA191](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN20CA191), May 23, 2020: Pietenpol Aircamper (N9863Z), Midland, MI, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's loss of control during an aborted landing.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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