What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
2020-12-02 N28067, 1979 Bellanca, took off from anoka, MN airport (kane) at about 2100L. The plan was a scenic night flight over minneapolis to see the city lit up and then proceed south east to st. paul to view the capital all lit up. The ceilings in the area were around 2000FT AGL and the flight was being conducted at 1200FT AGL. After a 360 degree circle over the downtown vikings stadium, the aircraft departed in an easterly direction.
Shortly thereafter, an audible bang was heard accompanied by vibration and a partial power loss. The PIC immediately declared an emergency and started to climb. ATC offered steers to st. paul airport (kstp), but the PIC was familiar with the area and chose to follow the freeway north to kane. Upon reaching approximately 2300FT AGL, the top cowl door on the engine blew open, sparks shot out, and a complete engine failure was encountered.
The pilot was very familiar with the area and continued following the lit up freeway north. He cleared a high power stantion line crossing left to right in front of him and continued gliding for the freeway. The fuel valve and magnetos were secured, electric remained on. Gear and flaps were held for best glide. When landing on the road was imminent, the PIC put down the landing gear and had a normal landing. There was a vehicle to his front, even with max braking, he closed on the vehicle. While attempting to swerve left of it the outer portion of his right wing connected with the aft left tail portion of the suv. The airplane yawed right into the suv, putting the prop into the suv engine compartment. During the yaw right the left wing and tail slid up onto a 3 ft concrete barrier.
The airplane came to a stop with the vehicle less than 6 miles from kane airport. The pilot and his passenger egressed and checked on the single occupant of the vehicle. No injuries were sustained. 911 was called and state troopers dispatched to close the freeway.
The FAA iic arrived on scene about an hour later. There was visible damage to the right wing, rudder and aileron of the left wing propped up on the concrete barrier. In addition, there was oil visible on the top cowling and under the engine compartment. There was fuel in both wings and it was not leaking out.
The aircraft was lifted off the concrete barricade and separated from the suv with a crane. Approximately 2345L the loading of the aircraft was complete, it departed and the freeway was reopened.
As the FAA filed it
2020-12-02 N28067, 1979 BELLANCA, TOOK OFF FROM ANOKA, MN AIRPORT (KANE) AT ABOUT 2100L. THE PLAN WAS A SCENIC NIGHT FLIGHT OVER MINNEAPOLIS TO SEE THE CITY LIT UP AND THEN PROCEED SOUTH EAST TO ST. PAUL TO VIEW THE CAPITAL ALL LIT UP. THE CEILINGS IN THE AREA WERE AROUND 2000FT AGL AND THE FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED AT 1200FT AGL. AFTER A 360 DEGREE CIRCLE OVER THE DOWNTOWN VIKINGS STADIUM, THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED IN AN EASTERLY DIRECTION.
SHORTLY THEREAFTER, AN AUDIBLE BANG WAS HEARD ACCOMPANIED BY VIBRATION AND A PARTIAL POWER LOSS. THE PIC IMMEDIATELY DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND STARTED TO CLIMB. ATC OFFERED STEERS TO ST. PAUL AIRPORT (KSTP), BUT THE PIC WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA AND CHOSE TO FOLLOW THE FREEWAY NORTH TO KANE. UPON REACHING APPROXIMATELY 2300FT AGL, THE TOP COWL DOOR ON THE ENGINE BLEW OPEN, SPARKS SHOT OUT, AND A COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE WAS ENCOUNTERED.
THE PILOT WAS VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA AND CONTINUED FOLLOWING THE LIT UP FREEWAY NORTH. HE CLEARED A HIGH POWER STANTION LINE CROSSING LEFT TO RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIM AND CONTINUED GLIDING FOR THE FREEWAY. THE FUEL VALVE AND MAGNETOS WERE SECURED, ELECTRIC REMAINED ON. GEAR AND FLAPS WERE HELD FOR BEST GLIDE. WHEN LANDING ON THE ROAD WAS IMMINENT, THE PIC PUT DOWN THE LANDING GEAR AND HAD A NORMAL LANDING. THERE WAS A VEHICLE TO HIS FRONT, EVEN WITH MAX BRAKING, HE CLOSED ON THE VEHICLE. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO SWERVE LEFT OF IT THE OUTER PORTION OF HIS RIGHT WING CONNECTED WITH THE AFT LEFT TAIL PORTION OF THE SUV. THE AIRPLANE YAWED RIGHT INTO THE SUV, PUTTING THE PROP INTO THE SUV ENGINE COMPARTMENT. DURING THE YAW RIGHT THE LEFT WING AND TAIL SLID UP ONTO A 3 FT CONCRETE BARRIER.
THE AIRPLANE CAME TO A STOP WITH THE VEHICLE LESS THAN 6 MILES FROM KANE AIRPORT. THE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER EGRESSED AND CHECKED ON THE SINGLE OCCUPANT OF THE VEHICLE. NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED. 911 WAS CALLED AND STATE TROOPERS DISPATCHED TO CLOSE THE FREEWAY.
THE FAA IIC ARRIVED ON SCENE ABOUT AN HOUR LATER. THERE WAS VISIBLE DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT WING, RUDDER AND AILERON OF THE LEFT WING PROPPED UP ON THE CONCRETE BARRIER. IN ADDITION, THERE WAS OIL VISIBLE ON THE TOP COWLING AND UNDER THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THERE WAS FUEL IN BOTH WINGS AND IT WAS NOT LEAKING OUT.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS LIFTED OFF THE CONCRETE BARRICADE AND SEPARATED FROM THE SUV WITH A CRANE. APPROXIMATELY 2345L THE LOADING OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS COMPLETE, IT DEPARTED AND THE FREEWAY WAS REOPENED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.