What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On November 5, 2020 at approximately 2:30 pm eastern standard time (EST), N4856K, a Ryan Navion A aircraft, registered to and operated by a private pilot, received substantial damage during an emergency landing after loss of engine power following takeoff on runway 27 at the Fremont municipal airport (ffx) in Fremont, Michigan.
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 uninjured while the sole passenger received minor bumps not requiring treatment. The flight originated from the Fremont municipal airport.
According to the pilot, he had conducted his preflight checks using his checklist and departed runway 28. The initial climb seemed normal and he retracted the landing gear. Approximately 100 feet above ground level (AGL), the engine abruptly lost power. Without time and altitude to consider troubleshooting the failure, the pilot elected to perform an emergency landing on the airport property due to runway remaining and an open field in the westerly direction of departure.
The pilot lowered the landing gear and prepared for the emergency landing but became misaligned with the runway on a heading of approximately 300 degrees and continued the off-runway landing. The pilot failed to maintain airspeed control during the final portion of the landing, resulting in a stall higher than normal landing flare height and a resultant hard landing.
The right main gear and spar broke and pushed up through the top surface of the wing and the left wing spar broke at approximately the 3/4 point with the remaining 1/4 wing angled downward at a 45 degree angle. The nose gear sheared off and the propeller bears signs of a prop strike under possible partial power.
The aircraft came to rest approximately 150 feet north of runway 28 and 220 feet west of runway 01. Markings in the sod surface show the aircraft travelled approximately 100 feet after initial impact.
Post-accident investigation revealed the fuel selector on the right tip tank. Operating limitations, including cockpit placards, indicate ?tip tanks to be used in level flight only.? The pilot admitted he had inadvertently taken off on the right tip tank.
The investigation found a visible but low fuel level in the right tip tank. It is likely that, in the climbing attitude, the fuel may have pooled at the rear of the tank, starving the engine of consistent fuel flow.
Visual meteorological conditions and light winds prevailed at the time of the accident. The weather report at Fremont municipal airport (ffx) in Fremont, Michigan at 1935Z was: wind 220 degrees at 9 gusting to 15 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, skies clear, temperature 16, dew point 08, and altimeter 3008.
As the FAA filed it
ON NOVEMBER 5, 2020 AT APPROXIMATELY 2:30 PM EASTERN STANDARD TIME (EST), N4856K, A RYAN NAVION A AIRCRAFT, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY A PRIVATE PILOT, RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING AN EMERGENCY LANDING AFTER LOSS OF ENGINE POWER FOLLOWING TAKEOFF ON RUNWAY 27 AT THE FREMONT MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (FFX) IN FREMONT, MICHIGAN.
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 UNINJURED WHILE THE SOLE PASSENGER RECEIVED MINOR BUMPS NOT REQUIRING TREATMENT. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE FREMONT MUNICIPAL AIRPORT.
ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE HAD CONDUCTED HIS PREFLIGHT CHECKS USING HIS CHECKLIST AND DEPARTED RUNWAY 28. THE INITIAL CLIMB SEEMED NORMAL AND HE RETRACTED THE LANDING GEAR. APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL), THE ENGINE ABRUPTLY LOST POWER. WITHOUT TIME AND ALTITUDE TO CONSIDER TROUBLESHOOTING THE FAILURE, THE PILOT ELECTED TO PERFORM AN EMERGENCY LANDING ON THE AIRPORT PROPERTY DUE TO RUNWAY REMAINING AND AN OPEN FIELD IN THE WESTERLY DIRECTION OF DEPARTURE.
THE PILOT LOWERED THE LANDING GEAR AND PREPARED FOR THE EMERGENCY LANDING BUT BECAME MISALIGNED WITH THE RUNWAY ON A HEADING OF APPROXIMATELY 300 DEGREES AND CONTINUED THE OFF-RUNWAY LANDING. THE PILOT FAILED TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED CONTROL DURING THE FINAL PORTION OF THE LANDING, RESULTING IN A STALL HIGHER THAN NORMAL LANDING FLARE HEIGHT AND A RESULTANT HARD LANDING.
THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR AND SPAR BROKE AND PUSHED UP THROUGH THE TOP SURFACE OF THE WING AND THE LEFT WING SPAR BROKE AT APPROXIMATELY THE 3/4 POINT WITH THE REMAINING 1/4 WING ANGLED DOWNWARD AT A 45 DEGREE ANGLE. THE NOSE GEAR SHEARED OFF AND THE PROPELLER BEARS SIGNS OF A PROP STRIKE UNDER POSSIBLE PARTIAL POWER.
THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST APPROXIMATELY 150 FEET NORTH OF RUNWAY 28 AND 220 FEET WEST OF RUNWAY 01. MARKINGS IN THE SOD SURFACE SHOW THE AIRCRAFT TRAVELLED APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET AFTER INITIAL IMPACT.
POST-ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE FUEL SELECTOR ON THE RIGHT TIP TANK. OPERATING LIMITATIONS, INCLUDING COCKPIT PLACARDS, INDICATE ?TIP TANKS TO BE USED IN LEVEL FLIGHT ONLY.? THE PILOT ADMITTED HE HAD INADVERTENTLY TAKEN OFF ON THE RIGHT TIP TANK.
THE INVESTIGATION FOUND A VISIBLE BUT LOW FUEL LEVEL IN THE RIGHT TIP TANK. IT IS LIKELY THAT, IN THE CLIMBING ATTITUDE, THE FUEL MAY HAVE POOLED AT THE REAR OF THE TANK, STARVING THE ENGINE OF CONSISTENT FUEL FLOW.
VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AND LIGHT WINDS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE WEATHER REPORT AT FREMONT MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (FFX) IN FREMONT, MICHIGAN AT 1935Z WAS: WIND 220 DEGREES AT 9 GUSTING TO 15 KNOTS, VISIBILITY 10 STATUTE MILES, SKIES CLEAR, TEMPERATURE 16, DEW POINT 08, AND ALTIMETER 3008.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.