What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On August 19, 2020 at 2000 local time, an American champion 8GCBC aircraft, N133PJ, registered to and operated by a private pilot, received substantial damage when it struck a runway marker sign while taxiing to the fuel pumps at the Three Rivers municipal airport (hai), Three Rivers, Michigan. Visual meteorological conditions and light 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 was not injured. The local flight originated from the pilot?s private airfield at approximately 1945L.
According to the pilot he had just landed on runway 05 and was taxiing to the fuel pumps in the grass parallel to the runway surface. Admittedly, he was taxiing the tundra tire equipped aircraft a bit too fast and was not paying close attention to his surroundings. The aircraft struck the runway marker sign causing the nose of the aircraft to drop and impact the ground as the tail came over with the aircraft coming to rest on its back. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, was able to exit unaided. The ELT did function as designed. There was no post-crash fire.
Following the accident, the pilot departed the scene to attend an ?important? Meeting without notifying any authorities of the situation. It wasn?t until a passerby viewed the aircraft that local law enforcement were made aware of the accident. Later that evening the pilot returned to the airport to recover the aircraft and place it in a hangar.
Photographs show the aircraft upright in a hangar. The spinner is crushed and both composite propeller blades are broken at the hub. The windshield is broken with large pieces missing. The right wing struts are bent and almost broken near the fuselage. The right wing is canted at a downward angle. The rudder and vertical stabilizer both show crush damage.
Weather report at the Three Rivers airport at 0015 UTC was: wind 080 degrees at 4 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, clear, temp 23 dew point 11 and altimeter 30.05.
As the FAA filed it
ON AUGUST 19, 2020 AT 2000 LOCAL TIME, AN AMERICAN CHAMPION 8GCBC AIRCRAFT, N133PJ, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY A PRIVATE PILOT, RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT STRUCK A RUNWAY MARKER SIGN WHILE TAXIING TO THE FUEL PUMPS AT THE THREE RIVERS MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (HAI), THREE RIVERS, MICHIGAN. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AND LIGHT 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 WAS NOT INJURED. THE LOCAL FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE PILOT?S PRIVATE AIRFIELD AT APPROXIMATELY 1945L.
ACCORDING TO THE PILOT HE HAD JUST LANDED ON RUNWAY 05 AND WAS TAXIING TO THE FUEL PUMPS IN THE GRASS PARALLEL TO THE RUNWAY SURFACE. ADMITTEDLY, HE WAS TAXIING THE TUNDRA TIRE EQUIPPED AIRCRAFT A BIT TOO FAST AND WAS NOT PAYING CLOSE ATTENTION TO HIS SURROUNDINGS. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE RUNWAY MARKER SIGN CAUSING THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT TO DROP AND IMPACT THE GROUND AS THE TAIL CAME OVER WITH THE AIRCRAFT COMING TO REST ON ITS BACK. THE PILOT, WHO WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS ABLE TO EXIT UNAIDED. THE ELT DID FUNCTION AS DESIGNED. THERE WAS NO POST-CRASH FIRE.
FOLLOWING THE ACCIDENT, THE PILOT DEPARTED THE SCENE TO ATTEND AN ?IMPORTANT? MEETING WITHOUT NOTIFYING ANY AUTHORITIES OF THE SITUATION. IT WASN?T UNTIL A PASSERBY VIEWED THE AIRCRAFT THAT LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT WERE MADE AWARE OF THE ACCIDENT. LATER THAT EVENING THE PILOT RETURNED TO THE AIRPORT TO RECOVER THE AIRCRAFT AND PLACE IT IN A HANGAR.
PHOTOGRAPHS SHOW THE AIRCRAFT UPRIGHT IN A HANGAR. THE SPINNER IS CRUSHED AND BOTH COMPOSITE PROPELLER BLADES ARE BROKEN AT THE HUB. THE WINDSHIELD IS BROKEN WITH LARGE PIECES MISSING. THE RIGHT WING STRUTS ARE BENT AND ALMOST BROKEN NEAR THE FUSELAGE. THE RIGHT WING IS CANTED AT A DOWNWARD ANGLE. THE RUDDER AND VERTICAL STABILIZER BOTH SHOW CRUSH DAMAGE.
WEATHER REPORT AT THE THREE RIVERS AIRPORT AT 0015 UTC WAS: WIND 080 DEGREES AT 4 KNOTS, VISIBILITY 10 STATUTE MILES, CLEAR, TEMP 23 DEW POINT 11 AND ALTIMETER 30.05.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.