20210630011589A

ON JUNE 30, 2021 AT 1935 LOCAL TIME, AN AERONCA 15AC AIRCRAFT, N1175H, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY A PRIVATE PILOT, RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT NOSED OVER FOLLOWING A LOSS OF POWER AND SUBSEQUENT EMERGENCY LANDING AT THE HASTINGS AIRPORT (9D9), HASTINGS, MICHIGAN. THE PILOT WAS RECEIVING FLIGHT INSTRUCTION FROM A CERTIFICATED INSTRUCTOR AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91 WITHOUT A FLIGHT PLAN. NEITHER THE PILOT NOR FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR WERE INJURED. THE LOCAL FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE HASTINGS AIRPORT APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT.

ACCORDING TO THE PILOT HE WAS RECEIVING FLIGHT TRAINING IN THE AIRCRAFT AND HAD BEEN PRACTICING MANEUVERS INCLUDING TURNS AROUND A POINT FOR APPROXIMATELY 45 MINUTES TO AN HOUR PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. DURING THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT, THE INSTRUCTOR REQUESTED THE PILOT TAKE OFF AND CONDUCT TOUCH-AND-GO LANDINGS. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED AND WAS RUNNING NORMALLY UNTIL THE PILOT INITIATED A LEFT TURN AND THE ENGINE BEGAN TO ?SPUTTER? AND RUN ROUGH. THE PILOT LEVELED THE WINGS AND THE ENGINE RAN NORMALLY UNTIL HE AGAIN MADE A LEFT TURN AT WHICH TIME THE ENGINE QUIT WITH THE PROPELLER COMING TO REST IN A VERTICAL POSITION. AT THIS TIME, THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND INITIATED A 90 TURN TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN IN THE GRASS PERPENDICULAR TO THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE WITH THE AIRCRAFT FAST APPROACHING THE AIRPORT PERIMETER FENCE. AT THAT TIME, THE PILOT APPLIED MAXIMUM BRAKING (ONLY THE LEFT SIDE AIRCRAFT CONTROLS HAVE BRAKE PEDALS) AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS ALMOST TO A STOP WHEN THE PROPELLER STRUCK THE GROUND CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO PITCH OVER ONTO ITS BACK. THE PILOT AND FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR WERE ABLE TO EGRESS THE AIRCRAFT UNASSISTED. THERE WAS NO POST-CRASH FIRE NOR ELT ACTIVATION. LATER THAT EVENING THE AIRCRAFT WAS RIGHTED AND TOWED TO THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HANGAR.

INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT SHOWS DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER AND WINDSHIELD. THE LEFT WING SPAR IS BUCKLED MID SPAN AND THE RUDDER SHOWS CRUSH DAMAGE FROM GROUND CONTACT. INSPECTION ALSO REVEALED THAT BOTH FUEL TANKS HAD AN UNDETERMINED AMOUNT OF FUEL IN THEM AND THERE WAS FUEL AT THE FIREWALL SUMP. BOTH WING TANK VENTS WERE FREE OF DEBRIS AND AIR FLOWED UNOBSTRUCTED THROUGH BOTH OF THEM. THE ENGINE WAS INTACT WITH ALL SPARKPLUG AND WIRES PRESENT AND CONNECTED. THE CARBURETOR WAS UNDAMAGED AND ALL ACCESSORIES WERE IN PLACE. INSPECTION ALSO SHOWS THE FUEL SYSTEM TO BE CONTROLLED WITH AN ON/OFF VALVE RATHER THAN A SELECTOR VALVE. FUEL IS DRAWN FROM BOTH TANKS DURING FLIGHT AND BOTH WING TANKS ARE INTERCONNECTED WITH A CROSS FEED TUBE. BOTH FUEL TANKS ARE SEPARATELY VENTED THROUGH PLUMBING ON THE UNDERSIDE OF EACH WING.

WEATHER REPORT AT KGRR AIRPORT AT 2153 UTC WAS: WIND 270 DEGREES AT 13 KNOTS, VISIBILITY 10 STATUTE MILES, SCT044, SCT250, TEMP 27, DEW POINT 18 AND ALTIMETER 3003.