What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On June 28th, 2021 at approximately 1400 local time, a 1979 privacy data omitted lake LA-4-200 aircraft, N963L, privacy data omitted operated by a private pilot, received substantial damage when it impacted trees shortly after take-off on runway 28 from the Oscoda County Airport (51M), Mio Michigan. Visual meteorological conditions and light winds prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of the title code of federal regulations (CFR) part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot was the sole occupant and no injuries were reported.
The pilot stated that he topped off only the main fuel tank and left tip tanks empty. He stated that he performed preflight duties which included sumping the fuel tank and no water was noted. He performed run-up of aircraft, mag checks, and cycled propeller 3 times. The pilot stated that on take-off roll out the RPM?s seemed about 200RPM?s lower than during run-up but the aircraft took right off and he immediately retracted the gear. He stated that after lift-off he was unable to increase above 65KTS and decided to return to the field and began a turn to the north. He noted that the engine was not coughing or spitting and just would not make power. He went through emergency checklists with no change and had to make a landing into the trees. After the aircraft came to rest he turned off the power, extricated himself from the aircraft, and called 911. ELT as not activated during the impact. Oscoda County sherriff and fire department arrived on the scene shortly after the crash. The fire department de-fueled the aircraft due to fuel leaking from the fuselage fuel cap.
On scene observations: aircraft impacted the trees approximately 2,500 feet north west off the end of runway 28 and on an approximate heading of 046. Several small trees were knocked down from the impact and cushioned the aircraft as it came to rest nose down with the nose and left wing contacting the ground, right wing approximately at a 45-degree angle resting into a tree. All controls were in the appropriate positions for take-off. The nose cone received impact damage resulting in the fuselage skin being wrinkled along the left side of the nose section. The leading edges of both wings received substantial impact damage from trees. Propeller and engine cowling were undamaged in the crash. A detailed inspection of aircraft flight controls, engine, and engine controls were unattainable in-situation due to the precarious position in which the aircraft was resting. The aircraft was released to the insurance company for removal and has since been repositioned back to the airport, but to facilitate extrication from the forest the wings and engine were removed. The engine is scheduled to be inspected and test run by a local engine shop. Last annual inspection was in April 2021.
As the FAA filed it
ON JUNE 28TH, 2021 AT APPROXIMATELY 1400 LOCAL TIME, A 1979 ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ LAKE LA-4-200 AIRCRAFT, N963L, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OPERATED BY A PRIVATE PILOT, RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT IMPACTED TREES SHORTLY AFTER TAKE-OFF ON RUNWAY 28 FROM THE OSCODA COUNTY AIRPORT (51M), MIO MICHIGAN. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AND LIGHT WINDS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF THE TITLE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91 WITHOUT A FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT AND NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED.
THE PILOT STATED THAT HE TOPPED OFF ONLY THE MAIN FUEL TANK AND LEFT TIP TANKS EMPTY. HE STATED THAT HE PERFORMED PREFLIGHT DUTIES WHICH INCLUDED SUMPING THE FUEL TANK AND NO WATER WAS NOTED. HE PERFORMED RUN-UP OF AIRCRAFT, MAG CHECKS, AND CYCLED PROPELLER 3 TIMES. THE PILOT STATED THAT ON TAKE-OFF ROLL OUT THE RPM?S SEEMED ABOUT 200RPM?S LOWER THAN DURING RUN-UP BUT THE AIRCRAFT TOOK RIGHT OFF AND HE IMMEDIATELY RETRACTED THE GEAR. HE STATED THAT AFTER LIFT-OFF HE WAS UNABLE TO INCREASE ABOVE 65KTS AND DECIDED TO RETURN TO THE FIELD AND BEGAN A TURN TO THE NORTH. HE NOTED THAT THE ENGINE WAS NOT COUGHING OR SPITTING AND JUST WOULD NOT MAKE POWER. HE WENT THROUGH EMERGENCY CHECKLISTS WITH NO CHANGE AND HAD TO MAKE A LANDING INTO THE TREES. AFTER THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST HE TURNED OFF THE POWER, EXTRICATED HIMSELF FROM THE AIRCRAFT, AND CALLED 911. ELT AS NOT ACTIVATED DURING THE IMPACT. OSCODA COUNTY SHERRIFF AND FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED ON THE SCENE SHORTLY AFTER THE CRASH. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DE-FUELED THE AIRCRAFT DUE TO FUEL LEAKING FROM THE FUSELAGE FUEL CAP.
ON SCENE OBSERVATIONS: AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE TREES APPROXIMATELY 2,500 FEET NORTH WEST OFF THE END OF RUNWAY 28 AND ON AN APPROXIMATE HEADING OF 046. SEVERAL SMALL TREES WERE KNOCKED DOWN FROM THE IMPACT AND CUSHIONED THE AIRCRAFT AS IT CAME TO REST NOSE DOWN WITH THE NOSE AND LEFT WING CONTACTING THE GROUND, RIGHT WING APPROXIMATELY AT A 45-DEGREE ANGLE RESTING INTO A TREE. ALL CONTROLS WERE IN THE APPROPRIATE POSITIONS FOR TAKE-OFF. THE NOSE CONE RECEIVED IMPACT DAMAGE RESULTING IN THE FUSELAGE SKIN BEING WRINKLED ALONG THE LEFT SIDE OF THE NOSE SECTION. THE LEADING EDGES OF BOTH WINGS RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL IMPACT DAMAGE FROM TREES. PROPELLER AND ENGINE COWLING WERE UNDAMAGED IN THE CRASH. A DETAILED INSPECTION OF AIRCRAFT FLIGHT CONTROLS, ENGINE, AND ENGINE CONTROLS WERE UNATTAINABLE IN-SITUATION DUE TO THE PRECARIOUS POSITION IN WHICH THE AIRCRAFT WAS RESTING. THE AIRCRAFT WAS RELEASED TO THE INSURANCE COMPANY FOR REMOVAL AND HAS SINCE BEEN REPOSITIONED BACK TO THE AIRPORT, BUT TO FACILITATE EXTRICATION FROM THE FOREST THE WINGS AND ENGINE WERE REMOVED. THE ENGINE IS SCHEDULED TO BE INSPECTED AND TEST RUN BY A LOCAL ENGINE SHOP. LAST ANNUAL INSPECTION WAS IN APRIL 2021.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.