What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
An aircraft accident occurred on August 22, 2020 at approximately 11:52 involving a Cessna (Textron) CE-180 s/n 3517 registration number N7620A. The aircraft took off from 1H0 Creve Coeur Airport with full fuel at approximately 11:46 and crashed in a grassy area. It then skidded approximately 125 feet onto a driveway privacy data omittedthe pilot,privacy data omitted sustained serious injuries, which required surgery.
On August 27, 2020, the aircraft was inspected at a tow lot by the faa-iic inspector privacy data omitted, ASI privacy data omitted and an air safety investigator (ASI) from privacy data omitted. The aircraft was severely damaged, including the left wing crushed, the lower cowling crushed upward and aft into the engine air intake. The left main gear was separated at the gear box structure. The cockpit floorboards were displaced upward, and the propeller was broken off at impact, but only bent on one side. The aircraft wings were removed by recovery personnel. The privacy data omitted ASI examined the engine. He observed the engine crankcase mounts were separated from the welded truss engine mount. The engine oil sump had a puncture at the aft left corner. Engine oil was observed on the dipstick and large puddle of oil was present under the engine at the storage location. The exhaust stack was separated from the left side of the muffler. Spark was observed between the engine cylinder and the upper magneto leads when the crankshaft was rotated by hand. The carburetor mixture cable was observed disconnected from the carburetor mixture control lever at the carburetor. The nut and washer stack remained attached to the carburetor. The gap between the bolt head and the washer stack up on the attached bolt appeared to be wider than the mixture control inner cable. The mixture lever in the cockpit was extended approximately 1.5 ? 2 inches from full forward. The mixture control lever on the carburetor was observed in the cut-off position and was not spring loaded in a particular direction. The gascolator was sampled, the fuel appeared to be blue in color and smelled like avgas, it showed no sign of contamination. No obvious visual abnormalities were found during this investigation. Further testing and inspection is planned at the engine manufacturer. (As of 9/11/2020, the aircraft is still in the tow lot).
A witness saw the aircraft overhead, heard a loud pop and then no engine noise after. The aircraft then crashed. The part owner indicated that the pilot in command stated the same.
This investigation is still ongoing, but on hold due to the aircraft not being released from the tow lot and the pilot still being in the hospital. After the aircraft is moved, the engine will be ran at a test facility.
On September 12, 2020 the pilot was interviewed by the NTSB. He said he was at 1000 ft, heard a load pop and lost engine power. He was not moving any engine or prop controls and that they had been set at 2,300 RPM, 23 mp since initial level off.
As the FAA filed it
AN AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT OCCURRED ON AUGUST 22, 2020 AT APPROXIMATELY 11:52 INVOLVING A CESSNA (TEXTRON) CE-180 S/N 3517 REGISTRATION NUMBER N7620A. THE AIRCRAFT TOOK OFF FROM 1H0 CREVE COEUR AIRPORT WITH FULL FUEL AT APPROXIMATELY 11:46 AND CRASHED IN A GRASSY AREA. IT THEN SKIDDED APPROXIMATELY 125 FEET ONTO A DRIVEWAY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^THE PILOT,^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES, WHICH REQUIRED SURGERY.
ON AUGUST 27, 2020, THE AIRCRAFT WAS INSPECTED AT A TOW LOT BY THE FAA-IIC INSPECTOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, ASI ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND AN AIR SAFETY INVESTIGATOR (ASI) FROM ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED, INCLUDING THE LEFT WING CRUSHED, THE LOWER COWLING CRUSHED UPWARD AND AFT INTO THE ENGINE AIR INTAKE. THE LEFT MAIN GEAR WAS SEPARATED AT THE GEAR BOX STRUCTURE. THE COCKPIT FLOORBOARDS WERE DISPLACED UPWARD, AND THE PROPELLER WAS BROKEN OFF AT IMPACT, BUT ONLY BENT ON ONE SIDE. THE AIRCRAFT WINGS WERE REMOVED BY RECOVERY PERSONNEL. THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ASI EXAMINED THE ENGINE. HE OBSERVED THE ENGINE CRANKCASE MOUNTS WERE SEPARATED FROM THE WELDED TRUSS ENGINE MOUNT. THE ENGINE OIL SUMP HAD A PUNCTURE AT THE AFT LEFT CORNER. ENGINE OIL WAS OBSERVED ON THE DIPSTICK AND LARGE PUDDLE OF OIL WAS PRESENT UNDER THE ENGINE AT THE STORAGE LOCATION. THE EXHAUST STACK WAS SEPARATED FROM THE LEFT SIDE OF THE MUFFLER. SPARK WAS OBSERVED BETWEEN THE ENGINE CYLINDER AND THE UPPER MAGNETO LEADS WHEN THE CRANKSHAFT WAS ROTATED BY HAND. THE CARBURETOR MIXTURE CABLE WAS OBSERVED DISCONNECTED FROM THE CARBURETOR MIXTURE CONTROL LEVER AT THE CARBURETOR. THE NUT AND WASHER STACK REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE CARBURETOR. THE GAP BETWEEN THE BOLT HEAD AND THE WASHER STACK UP ON THE ATTACHED BOLT APPEARED TO BE WIDER THAN THE MIXTURE CONTROL INNER CABLE. THE MIXTURE LEVER IN THE COCKPIT WAS EXTENDED APPROXIMATELY 1.5 ? 2 INCHES FROM FULL FORWARD. THE MIXTURE CONTROL LEVER ON THE CARBURETOR WAS OBSERVED IN THE CUT-OFF POSITION AND WAS NOT SPRING LOADED IN A PARTICULAR DIRECTION. THE GASCOLATOR WAS SAMPLED, THE FUEL APPEARED TO BE BLUE IN COLOR AND SMELLED LIKE AVGAS, IT SHOWED NO SIGN OF CONTAMINATION. NO OBVIOUS VISUAL ABNORMALITIES WERE FOUND DURING THIS INVESTIGATION. FURTHER TESTING AND INSPECTION IS PLANNED AT THE ENGINE MANUFACTURER. (AS OF 9/11/2020, THE AIRCRAFT IS STILL IN THE TOW LOT).
A WITNESS SAW THE AIRCRAFT OVERHEAD, HEARD A LOUD POP AND THEN NO ENGINE NOISE AFTER. THE AIRCRAFT THEN CRASHED. THE PART OWNER INDICATED THAT THE PILOT IN COMMAND STATED THE SAME.
THIS INVESTIGATION IS STILL ONGOING, BUT ON HOLD DUE TO THE AIRCRAFT NOT BEING RELEASED FROM THE TOW LOT AND THE PILOT STILL BEING IN THE HOSPITAL. AFTER THE AIRCRAFT IS MOVED, THE ENGINE WILL BE RAN AT A TEST FACILITY.
ON SEPTEMBER 12, 2020 THE PILOT WAS INTERVIEWED BY THE NTSB. HE SAID HE WAS AT 1000 FT, HEARD A LOAD POP AND LOST ENGINE POWER. HE WAS NOT MOVING ANY ENGINE OR PROP CONTROLS AND THAT THEY HAD BEEN SET AT 2,300 RPM, 23 MP SINCE INITIAL LEVEL OFF.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.