What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The operator was taking the passenger on her first airplane ride and was planning on staying in the local area sightseeing. He reported that the take off was normal.
He was climbing out at about 600 feet and heading north and then made a right turn, he then heard a ?pow? And the engine locked up and black smoke came out of the muffler. He stated "the prop was not turning, and that he felt like he was dragging a car and that usually the plane glides very well, but he could tell his airspeed was dropping fast; more than normal when he pulls the power.". He turned toward the airport, but could tell he was not going to make it to the airport. He didn?t want to make any more turns out of fear of stalling during the turn, so he just flew straight. He intentionally let the wing strike the biggest tree he could see, because he?s been told ?never let the plane go straight down?. ?he wanted to let the tree spin him down?.
The aircraft came to rest at the base of a large tree, with impact damage out side of the left wing strut.
Two witnesses who live in an open field adjacent to the woods where the aircraft crashed observed the flight and crash. They stated that they had witnessed the plane fly over and heard a pop and the engine stopped running. They observed the plane gliding adjacent to their field and could hear a man's voice talking to the other person in the plane. The witnesses saw the plane go below the tree line and thought the plane landed hard at the airport. They then dialed 911 and used a 4-wheeler to go to the airport thru the woods. They drove up on the crash site and discovered the plane had crashed in the woods.
Both the pilot and passenger were transported to the hospital and received serious injuries.
The wreckage was recovered to the owners hangar at the Jonesboro Airport. Visual inspection of the engine indicates no abnormalities. However, the NTSB is coordinating with Rotax to perform an engine tear-down.
During the investigation it was discovered that the pilot has never held a pilot or medical certificate. Additionally, he does not hold an A&P or repairman certificate, but stated that he does all of the maintenance on the aircraft.
A post-recovery engine examination was conducted by an FAA inspector and a representative of the engine manufacturer on October 22, 2020. The engine examination did not reveal any anomalies. However, the fuel exhibited a darker yellow color and odor consistent with stale (old) fuel.
As the FAA filed it
THE OPERATOR WAS TAKING THE PASSENGER ON HER FIRST AIRPLANE RIDE AND WAS PLANNING ON STAYING IN THE LOCAL AREA SIGHTSEEING. HE REPORTED THAT THE TAKE OFF WAS NORMAL.
HE WAS CLIMBING OUT AT ABOUT 600 FEET AND HEADING NORTH AND THEN MADE A RIGHT TURN, HE THEN HEARD A ?POW? AND THE ENGINE LOCKED UP AND BLACK SMOKE CAME OUT OF THE MUFFLER. HE STATED "THE PROP WAS NOT TURNING, AND THAT HE FELT LIKE HE WAS DRAGGING A CAR AND THAT USUALLY THE PLANE GLIDES VERY WELL, BUT HE COULD TELL HIS AIRSPEED WAS DROPPING FAST; MORE THAN NORMAL WHEN HE PULLS THE POWER.". HE TURNED TOWARD THE AIRPORT, BUT COULD TELL HE WAS NOT GOING TO MAKE IT TO THE AIRPORT.HE DIDN?T WANT TO MAKE ANY MORE TURNS OUT OF FEAR OF STALLING DURING THE TURN, SO HE JUST FLEW STRAIGHT. HE INTENTIONALLY LET THE WING STRIKE THE BIGGEST TREE HE COULD SEE, BECAUSE HE?S BEEN TOLD ?NEVER LET THE PLANE GO STRAIGHT DOWN?. ?HE WANTED TO LET THE TREE SPIN HIM DOWN?.
THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST AT THE BASE OF A LARGE TREE, WITH IMPACT DAMAGE OUT SIDE OF THE LEFT WING STRUT.
TWO WITNESSES WHO LIVE IN AN OPEN FIELD ADJACENT TO THE WOODS WHERE THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED OBSERVED THE FLIGHT AND CRASH. THEY STATED THAT THEY HAD WITNESSED THE PLANE FLY OVER AND HEARD A POP AND THE ENGINE STOPPED RUNNING. THEY OBSERVED THE PLANE GLIDING ADJACENT TO THEIR FIELD AND COULD HEAR A MAN'S VOICE TALKING TO THE OTHER PERSON IN THE PLANE. THE WITNESSES SAW THE PLANE GO BELOW THE TREE LINE AND THOUGHT THE PLANE LANDED HARD AT THE AIRPORT. THEY THEN DIALED 911 AND USED A 4-WHEELER TO GO TO THE AIRPORT THRU THE WOODS. THEY DROVE UP ON THE CRASH SITE AND DISCOVERED THE PLANE HAD CRASHED IN THE WOODS.
BOTH THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL AND RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES.
THE WRECKAGE WAS RECOVERED TO THE OWNERS HANGAR AT THE JONESBORO AIRPORT. VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE INDICATES NO ABNORMALITIES. HOWEVER, THE NTSB IS COORDINATING WITH ROTAX TO PERFORM AN ENGINE TEAR-DOWN.
DURING THE INVESTIGATION IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE PILOT HAS NEVER HELD A PILOT OR MEDICAL CERTIFICATE. ADDITIONALLY, HE DOES NOT HOLD AN A&P OR REPAIRMAN CERTIFICATE, BUT STATED THAT HE DOES ALL OF THE MAINTENANCE ON THE AIRCRAFT.
A POST-RECOVERY ENGINE EXAMINATION WAS CONDUCTED BY AN FAA INSPECTOR AND A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ENGINE MANUFACTURER ON OCTOBER 22, 2020. THE ENGINE EXAMINATION DID NOT REVEAL ANY ANOMALIES. HOWEVER, THE FUEL EXHIBITED A DARKER YELLOW COLOR AND ODOR CONSISTENT WITH STALE (OLD) FUEL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.