What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 10/21/2020 aircraft N1YX, a glassair iii, armature-built aircraft experienced an accident. The pilot says he believes the aircraft had approximately 15 gallons and also added an additional 15 gallons of fuel to the main wing tanks prior to flight. The aux fuel tank was empty and he says he never uses that tank. He performed multiple engine run-ups prior to the flight. Witnesses declared they heard a popping sound coming from the aircraft during these run-ups. This flight was to be the first in over 7 months due to the local shelter-in-place caused by covid-19. This was also the first flight since the major alteration of removing the two bladed aluminum propeller and a wood/composite three bladed propeller was installed on 9/20/2020.
The aircraft took off from Hayward executive airport runway 28L. The pilot sas the power was smooth and normal. He saw a positive rate of climb. Soon after take-off he says it wasn?t making power anymore. Witnesses heard popping sounds and saw black smoke coming from the aircraft.
After the loss of power the pilot turned slightly to the left to avoid homes and line up with the golf course. The aircraft impacted the ground and the base of two trees, 1,100 feet from the end of the runway. At that point the left wing was removed , the right wing tip was removed, and the top of the vertical stabilizer was removed. The propeller blades stuck the ground and the blades departed the hub. The aircraft slid for approximately 135 feet and came to a rest. The pilot was able to evacuate the aircraft by himself. The pilot was taken to the local hospital and treated for a fractured vertebra and a cut on one hand.
As the FAA filed it
ON 10/21/2020 AIRCRAFT N1YX, A GLASSAIR III, ARMATURE-BUILT AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED AN ACCIDENT. THE PILOT SAYS HE BELIEVES THE AIRCRAFT HAD APPROXIMATELY 15 GALLONS AND ALSO ADDED AN ADDITIONAL 15 GALLONS OF FUEL TO THE MAIN WING TANKS PRIOR TO FLIGHT. THE AUX FUEL TANK WAS EMPTY AND HE SAYS HE NEVER USES THAT TANK. HE PERFORMED MULTIPLE ENGINE RUN-UPS PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT. WITNESSES DECLARED THEY HEARD A POPPING SOUND COMING FROM THE AIRCRAFT DURING THESE RUN-UPS. THIS FLIGHT WAS TO BE THE FIRST IN OVER 7 MONTHS DUE TO THE LOCAL SHELTER-IN-PLACE CAUSED BY COVID-19. THIS WAS ALSO THE FIRST FLIGHT SINCE THE MAJOR ALTERATION OF REMOVING THE TWO BLADED ALUMINUM PROPELLER AND A WOOD/COMPOSITE THREE BLADED PROPELLER WAS INSTALLED ON 9/20/2020.
THE AIRCRAFT TOOK OFF FROM HAYWARD EXECUTIVE AIRPORT RUNWAY 28L. THE PILOT SAS THE POWER WAS SMOOTH AND NORMAL. HE SAW A POSITIVE RATE OF CLIMB. SOON AFTER TAKE-OFF HE SAYS IT WASN?T MAKING POWER ANYMORE. WITNESSES HEARD POPPING SOUNDS AND SAW BLACK SMOKE COMING FROM THE AIRCRAFT.
AFTER THE LOSS OF POWER THE PILOT TURNED SLIGHTLY TO THE LEFT TO AVOID HOMES AND LINE UP WITH THE GOLF COURSE. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND AND THE BASE OF TWO TREES, 1,100 FEET FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY. AT THAT POINT THE LEFT WING WAS REMOVED , THE RIGHT WING TIP WAS REMOVED, AND THE TOP OF THE VERTICAL STABILIZER WAS REMOVED. THE PROPELLER BLADES STUCK THE GROUND AND THE BLADES DEPARTED THE HUB. THE AIRCRAFT SLID FOR APPROXIMATELY 135 FEET AND CAME TO A REST. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO EVACUATE THE AIRCRAFT BY HIMSELF. THE PILOT WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL HOSPITAL AND TREATED FOR A FRACTURED VERTEBRA AND A CUT ON ONE HAND.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.