What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The aircraft departed lansing airport (igq) and remained in the traffic pattern for one circuit. The aircraft then departed the pattern to the south. The aircraft flew south of greater kankakee airport (kikk) and around the city of kankakee before flying in a north easterly direction towards the igq airport.
Approximately 7 miles south west of igq, the aircraft began a descent for an undetermined reason. The aircraft continued in a north easterly direction towards igq until approximately 100 feet above ground level where the aircraft made a left turn towards the north putting it on a path towards IL-394 highway and a clearing in a field.
While traveling in a northerly direction the aircraft impacted a 50 foot high roadway illumination light and impacted the on-ramp of IL-394 surface before coming to a rest in brush short of the cleared field. The empennage departed from the rest of the aircraft and the wings and fuselage continued for approximately 20 additional feet before coming to rest. Evidence of post crash fire was not present.
A witness who was located on the ground 6 miles south east of igq airport heard an aircraft engine backfiring and saw a low flying aircraft.
Another witness near the crash site, saw the aircraft contact the large highway roadway light and drag the light assembly and pole to the impact site.
No fuel remained in the tanks, no fuel odor existed upon FAA arrival and no post crash fire. Possible engine power loss due to fuel starvation and/or other mechanical issues that cannot be determined at this time.
On 04/27/2021 observed engine teardown onsite oshkosh, WI privacy data omitted. Inspectors privacy data omitted along with Textron Lycoming representative privacy data omitted. No anomalies, discrepancies or contributing factors were found by privacy data omitted.
As the FAA filed it
THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED LANSING AIRPORT (IGQ) AND REMAINED IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN FOR ONE CIRCUIT. THE AIRCRAFT THEN DEPARTED THE PATTERN TO THE SOUTH. THE AIRCRAFT FLEW SOUTH OF GREATER KANKAKEE AIRPORT (KIKK) AND AROUND THE CITY OF KANKAKEE BEFORE FLYING IN A NORTH EASTERLY DIRECTION TOWARDS THE IGQ AIRPORT.
APPROXIMATELY 7 MILES SOUTH WEST OF IGQ, THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN A DESCENT FOR AN UNDETERMINED REASON. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED IN A NORTH EASTERLY DIRECTION TOWARDS IGQ UNTIL APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL WHERE THE AIRCRAFT MADE A LEFT TURN TOWARDS THE NORTH PUTTING IT ON A PATH TOWARDS IL-394 HIGHWAY AND A CLEARING IN A FIELD.
WHILE TRAVELING IN A NORTHERLY DIRECTION THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED A 50 FOOT HIGH ROADWAY ILLUMINATION LIGHT AND IMPACTED THE ON-RAMP OF IL-394 SURFACE BEFORE COMING TO A REST IN BRUSH SHORT OF THE CLEARED FIELD. THE EMPENNAGE DEPARTED FROM THE REST OF THE AIRCRAFT AND THE WINGS AND FUSELAGE CONTINUED FOR APPROXIMATELY 20 ADDITIONAL FEET BEFORE COMING TO REST. EVIDENCE OF POST CRASH FIRE WAS NOT PRESENT.
A WITNESS WHO WAS LOCATED ON THE GROUND 6 MILES SOUTH EAST OF IGQ AIRPORT HEARD AN AIRCRAFT ENGINE BACKFIRING AND SAW A LOW FLYING AIRCRAFT.
ANOTHER WITNESS NEAR THE CRASH SITE, SAW THE AIRCRAFT CONTACT THE LARGE HIGHWAY ROADWAY LIGHT AND DRAG THE LIGHT ASSEMBLY AND POLE TO THE IMPACT SITE.
NO FUEL REMAINED IN THE TANKS, NO FUEL ODOR EXISTED UPON FAA ARRIVAL AND NO POST CRASH FIRE. POSSIBLE ENGINE POWER LOSS DUE TO FUEL STARVATION AND/OR OTHER MECHANICAL ISSUES THAT CANNOT BE DETERMINED AT THIS TIME.
ON 04/27/2021 OBSERVED ENGINE TEARDOWN ONSITE OSHKOSH, WI ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. INSPECTORS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ALONG WITH TEXTRON LYCOMING REPRESENTATIVE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. NO ANOMALIES, DISCREPANCIES OR CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE FOUND BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.