What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 27, 2021 at approximately 10:45 am eastern daylight time (EDT), a JA30 Superstol aircraft (N852SK) sustained substantial damage after contacting a tree top and subsequently impacting the ground in Floyds Knobs, Indiana. The aircraft was registered to Stephen kruer of Floyds Knobs, Indiana. A flight plan was not filed nor required for this flight. The flight departed from salem municipal airport (KI83) in salem, Indiana with the final destination being a private landing strip at the pilot?s residence in Floyds Knobs, Indiana.
A statement from the pilot was taken on August 4, 2021 after being released from the medical facility for serious injuries as a result from the accident on July 27, 2021. The pilot stated after having time to reflect on the sequence of events at the time of the accident, his initial statement to the on-sight police officer was inaccurate. The pilot stated he inaccurately told the police officer he thought the engine lost power. The pilot stated he probably made that statement to the officer due to the aircraft no longer climbing in altitude after he heard a ?thump?.
The pilot continued to state it was a return flight from performing a bi-annual flight review. During the return to the pilot?s private landing strip, the pilot stated instead of his normal approach from east to west into the landing strip, he decided to approach from west to east. The pilot stated he felt his approach altitude was too high to land safely and decided to execute a go-around. During the initial climb for the go-around, the pilot stated he felt a ?thump? Near the left main landing gear believing he may have struck the top of a tree. The pilot recalled feeling the aircraft immediately turn to the left and was no longer climbing in altitude. He recalled the propeller making a grinding noise and the aircraft coming to a halt in the tree top. The aircraft was in the tree top for a very short period of time before impacting the ground nose first.
A neighbor to the pilot?s residence witnessed the event while being outside in her yard. The witness stated the aircraft engine sounded like it powered up immediatley followed by the aircraft making an unusual sound, ?like a lawn mower hitting something? And then did not hear the engine running any longer. The witness claimed to see and hear this airplane often due to being a neighbor in close proximty to the pilot?s residence.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 27, 2021 AT APPROXIMATELY 10:45 AM EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME (EDT), A JA30 SUPERSTOL AIRCRAFT (N852SK) SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AFTER CONTACTING A TREE TOP AND SUBSEQUENTLY IMPACTING THE GROUND IN FLOYDS KNOBS, INDIANA. THE AIRCRAFT WAS REGISTERED TO STEPHEN KRUER OF FLOYDS KNOBS, INDIANA. A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED NOR REQUIRED FOR THIS FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED FROM SALEM MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (KI83) IN SALEM, INDIANA WITH THE FINAL DESTINATION BEING A PRIVATE LANDING STRIP AT THE PILOT?S RESIDENCE IN FLOYDS KNOBS, INDIANA.
A STATEMENT FROM THE PILOT WAS TAKEN ON AUGUST 4, 2021 AFTER BEING RELEASED FROM THE MEDICAL FACILITY FOR SERIOUS INJURIES AS A RESULT FROM THE ACCIDENT ON JULY 27, 2021. THE PILOT STATED AFTER HAVING TIME TO REFLECT ON THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, HIS INITIAL STATEMENT TO THE ON-SIGHT POLICE OFFICER WAS INACCURATE. THE PILOT STATED HE INACCURATELY TOLD THE POLICE OFFICER HE THOUGHT THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THE PILOT STATED HE PROBABLY MADE THAT STATEMENT TO THE OFFICER DUE TO THE AIRCRAFT NO LONGER CLIMBING IN ALTITUDE AFTER HE HEARD A ?THUMP?.
THE PILOT CONTINUED TO STATE IT WAS A RETURN FLIGHT FROM PERFORMING A BI-ANNUAL FLIGHT REVIEW. DURING THE RETURN TO THE PILOT?S PRIVATE LANDING STRIP, THE PILOT STATED INSTEAD OF HIS NORMAL APPROACH FROM EAST TO WEST INTO THE LANDING STRIP, HE DECIDED TO APPROACH FROM WEST TO EAST. THE PILOT STATED HE FELT HIS APPROACH ALTITUDE WAS TOO HIGH TO LAND SAFELY AND DECIDED TO EXECUTE A GO-AROUND. DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB FOR THE GO-AROUND, THE PILOT STATED HE FELT A ?THUMP? NEAR THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR BELIEVING HE MAY HAVE STRUCK THE TOP OF A TREE. THE PILOT RECALLED FEELING THE AIRCRAFT IMMEDIATELY TURN TO THE LEFT AND WAS NO LONGER CLIMBING IN ALTITUDE. HE RECALLED THE PROPELLER MAKING A GRINDING NOISE AND THE AIRCRAFT COMING TO A HALT IN THE TREE TOP. THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN THE TREE TOP FOR A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME BEFORE IMPACTING THE GROUND NOSE FIRST.
A NEIGHBOR TO THE PILOT?S RESIDENCE WITNESSED THE EVENT WHILE BEING OUTSIDE IN HER YARD. THE WITNESS STATED THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE SOUNDED LIKE IT POWERED UP IMMEDIATLEY FOLLOWED BY THE AIRCRAFT MAKING AN UNUSUAL SOUND, ?LIKE A LAWN MOWER HITTING SOMETHING? AND THEN DID NOT HEAR THE ENGINE RUNNING ANY LONGER. THE WITNESS CLAIMED TO SEE AND HEAR THIS AIRPLANE OFTEN DUE TO BEING A NEIGHBOR IN CLOSE PROXIMTY TO THE PILOT?S RESIDENCE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.