What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
N9024M flight with 01 pilot onboard originating from matagorda island, TX, crashed in a field five miles southeast of Brenham, TX. Pilot stated that seven miles from Brenham, on final for landing runway 34, the engine started sputtering/shutting off/restarting. Pilot stated adjusting mixture had no effect. Pilot believed the aircraft was running out of fuel. Pilot said he was at approximately 2,000-FT. Altitude and did not think he would make it to the airport so found a suitable field to land in. The landing was uneventful. Pilot stated he was accustomed to taking off/landing on rough surfaces so had no concern with taking off from the field. Pilot stated the aircraft had an older engine in it that allowed using automotive fuel so he had local residents purchase ten gallons of gasoline for him. After adding fuel, pilot attempted take off. Video evidence provided by Texas department of public safety (dps) trooper shows the aircraft power up, commence take-off roll on a gradual downhill sloped field, bounce numerous times, lift off, start to climb, gradually veer to the left losing altitude, and impact terrain. On scene evidence indicates the tail of the aircraft struck a barbed wire fence on an approximate bearing of 135-degrees, at position 030.10139 / -096.35653. At the location of impact aircraft came to rest on an approximate bearing of 318 degrees. Damage to aircraft includes: both propeller blades bent; damage to lower, left area of nacelle; left main landing gear collapsed; damage to left wing leading edge at wingtip and approximately three feet in; wrinkling of skin, upper surface of left wing; fence post impact damage to leading edge of left horizontal stabilizer approximately two feet from wingtip; barbed wire attached to left horizontal stabilizer with several feet of barbed wire coiled on ground; t-post impact damage to right side horizontal stabilizer; wrinkling of right horizontal stabilizer leading edge at airframe, with tearing of airframe skin; wrinkling of tail section of fuselage indicating shifting; damage to lower, right side of nacelle. There is a slight fuel leak from the left wing. Aircraft doors locked so unable to access interior.
As the FAA filed it
N9024M FLIGHT WITH 01 PILOT ONBOARD ORIGINATING FROM MATAGORDA ISLAND, TX, CRASHED IN A FIELD FIVE MILES SOUTHEAST OF BRENHAM, TX. PILOT STATED THAT SEVEN MILES FROM BRENHAM, ON FINAL FOR LANDING RUNWAY 34, THE ENGINE STARTED SPUTTERING/SHUTTING OFF/RESTARTING. PILOT STATED ADJUSTING MIXTURE HAD NO EFFECT. PILOT BELIEVED THE AIRCRAFT WAS RUNNING OUT OF FUEL. PILOT SAID HE WAS AT APPROXIMATELY 2,000-FT. ALTITUDE AND DID NOT THINK HE WOULD MAKE IT TO THE AIRPORT SO FOUND A SUITABLE FIELD TO LAND IN. THE LANDING WAS UNEVENTFUL. PILOT STATED HE WAS ACCUSTOMED TO TAKING OFF/LANDING ON ROUGH SURFACES SO HAD NO CONCERN WITH TAKING OFF FROM THE FIELD. PILOT STATED THE AIRCRAFT HAD AN OLDER ENGINE IN IT THAT ALLOWED USING AUTOMOTIVE FUEL SO HE HAD LOCAL RESIDENTS PURCHASE TEN GALLONS OF GASOLINE FOR HIM. AFTER ADDING FUEL, PILOT ATTEMPTED TAKE OFF. VIDEO EVIDENCE PROVIDED BY TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY (DPS) TROOPER SHOWS THE AIRCRAFT POWER UP, COMMENCE TAKE-OFF ROLL ON A GRADUAL DOWNHILL SLOPED FIELD, BOUNCE NUMEROUS TIMES, LIFT OFF, START TO CLIMB, GRADUALLY VEER TO THE LEFT LOSING ALTITUDE, AND IMPACT TERRAIN. ON SCENE EVIDENCE INDICATES THE TAIL OF THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A BARBED WIRE FENCE ON AN APPROXIMATE BEARING OF 135-DEGREES, AT POSITION 030.10139 / -096.35653. AT THE LOCATION OF IMPACT AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON AN APPROXIMATE BEARING OF 318 DEGREES. DAMAGE TO AIRCRAFT INCLUDES: BOTH PROPELLER BLADES BENT; DAMAGE TO LOWER, LEFT AREA OF NACELLE; LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED; DAMAGE TO LEFT WING LEADING EDGE AT WINGTIP AND APPROXIMATELY THREE FEET IN; WRINKLING OF SKIN, UPPER SURFACE OF LEFT WING; FENCE POST IMPACT DAMAGE TO LEADING EDGE OF LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER APPROXIMATELY TWO FEET FROM WINGTIP; BARBED WIRE ATTACHED TO LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER WITH SEVERAL FEET OF BARBED WIRE COILED ON GROUND; T-POST IMPACT DAMAGE TO RIGHT SIDE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER; WRINKLING OF RIGHT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER LEADING EDGE AT AIRFRAME, WITH TEARING OF AIRFRAME SKIN; WRINKLING OF TAIL SECTION OF FUSELAGE INDICATING SHIFTING; DAMAGE TO LOWER, RIGHT SIDE OF NACELLE. THERE IS A SLIGHT FUEL LEAK FROM THE LEFT WING. AIRCRAFT DOORS LOCKED SO UNABLE TO ACCESS INTERIOR.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N9024M · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.