What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On October 16, 2021 at approximately 8:53 am local time, aircraft N668CL, a himax 1400Z experimental amateur built aircraft impacted terrain causing substantial damage to the aircraft and serious injuries to the commercial rated pilot privacy data omitted. The single seat aircraft departed runway 3 from Benton Pennsylvania airport (PA40), in calm winds and VFR conditions. The aircraft made a planned teardrop return to land on the reciprocal runway 21. After completing approximately three quarters of the teardrop turn the aircraft struck the ground 350 feet from the approach end of runway 21 and approximately 200 feet west (short) of the runway centerline. The aircraft came to rest perpendicular to the extended centerline of runway 21. The aircraft was substantially damaged and the single pilot occupant was seriously injured requiring a medical evacuation via helicopter to a local hospital.
According to five witnesses the aircraft engine, a Continental con-gpu 40HP single magneto engine, was running at the time of the impact. Witness #4 noted that he heard a couple of momentary individual misfirings of the engine on takeoff but the engine appeared to be developing normal power throughout the flight. On scene post crash assessment also indicated that the engine was developing power at the time of the impact. The wooden propeller was heavily damaged with significant splintering and only small pieces recovered. The aircraft's propeller spinner showed signs of rotation.
The Continental GPU-40 engine was inspected by EA13 airworthiness personnel on November 15, 2021 for basic engine functionality. All cylinders were assessed to have normal compression and normal valve actuation. All spark plugs and wires were intact and provided spark when tested. The intake ducting to the carburetor was damaged and unable to be inspected. The aircraft was equipped with carburator heat.
All witness stated that the aircraft attained a maximum altitude of 200 feet during it's teardrop departure and approach.
Witness described the aircraft initiating a sharp left turn just prior to impacting the terrain at about a 45 degree nose down angle. Post crash assessment showed that the left wing struck the ground first with the right wing swinging forward at its attachment points. The lower engine cowling showed a distinct angle of damage indicating that it struck the ground at an approximate 45 degree angle. The aircraft came to rest perpendicular to the intended landing runway with its nose pointed at the extended centerline.
The pilot indicated that he had 245 hours of flight time in the last 90 days and 340 hours in the last year, however, only 2 hours in the last 90 days were fixed wing time and 9 hours fixed wing time in the last year. The remainder of his flight time was rotary wing.
The aircraft was not equipped with a stall warning device.
As the FAA filed it
ON OCTOBER 16, 2021 AT APPROXIMATELY 8:53 AM LOCAL TIME, AIRCRAFT N668CL, A HIMAX 1400Z EXPERIMENTAL AMATEUR BUILT AIRCRAFT IMPACTED TERRAIN CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT AND SERIOUS INJURIES TO THE COMMERCIAL RATED PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE SINGLE SEAT AIRCRAFT DEPARTED RUNWAY 3 FROM BENTON PENNSYLVANIA AIRPORT (PA40), IN CALM WINDS AND VFR CONDITIONS. THE AIRCRAFT MADE A PLANNED TEARDROP RETURN TO LAND ON THE RECIPROCAL RUNWAY 21. AFTER COMPLETING APPROXIMATELY THREE QUARTERS OF THE TEARDROP TURN THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE GROUND 350 FEET FROM THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 21 AND APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET WEST (SHORT) OF THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST PERPENDICULAR TO THE EXTENDED CENTERLINE OF RUNWAY 21. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AND THE SINGLE PILOT OCCUPANT WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED REQUIRING A MEDICAL EVACUATION VIA HELICOPTER TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL.
ACCORDING TO FIVE WITNESSES THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE, A CONTINENTAL CON-GPU 40HP SINGLE MAGNETO ENGINE, WAS RUNNING AT THE TIME OF THE IMPACT. WITNESS #4 NOTED THAT HE HEARD A COUPLE OF MOMENTARY INDIVIDUAL MISFIRINGS OF THE ENGINE ON TAKEOFF BUT THE ENGINE APPEARED TO BE DEVELOPING NORMAL POWER THROUGHOUT THE FLIGHT. ON SCENE POST CRASH ASSESSMENT ALSO INDICATED THAT THE ENGINE WAS DEVELOPING POWER AT THE TIME OF THE IMPACT. THE WOODEN PROPELLER WAS HEAVILY DAMAGED WITH SIGNIFICANT SPLINTERING AND ONLY SMALL PIECES RECOVERED. THE AIRCRAFT'S PROPELLER SPINNER SHOWED SIGNS OF ROTATION.
THE CONTINENTAL GPU-40 ENGINE WAS INSPECTED BY EA13 AIRWORTHINESS PERSONNEL ON NOVEMBER 15, 2021 FOR BASIC ENGINE FUNCTIONALITY. ALL CYLINDERS WERE ASSESSED TO HAVE NORMAL COMPRESSION AND NORMAL VALVE ACTUATION. ALL SPARK PLUGS AND WIRES WERE INTACT AND PROVIDED SPARK WHEN TESTED. THE INTAKE DUCTING TO THE CARBURETOR WAS DAMAGED AND UNABLE TO BE INSPECTED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS EQUIPPED WITH CARBURATOR HEAT.
ALL WITNESS STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT ATTAINED A MAXIMUM ALTITUDE OF 200 FEET DURING IT'S TEARDROP DEPARTURE AND APPROACH.
WITNESS DESCRIBED THE AIRCRAFT INITIATING A SHARP LEFT TURN JUST PRIOR TO IMPACTING THE TERRAIN AT ABOUT A 45 DEGREE NOSE DOWN ANGLE. POST CRASH ASSESSMENT SHOWED THAT THE LEFT WING STRUCK THE GROUND FIRST WITH THE RIGHT WING SWINGING FORWARD AT ITS ATTACHMENT POINTS. THE LOWER ENGINE COWLING SHOWED A DISTINCT ANGLE OF DAMAGE INDICATING THAT IT STRUCK THE GROUND AT AN APPROXIMATE 45 DEGREE ANGLE. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST PERPENDICULAR TO THE INTENDED LANDING RUNWAY WITH ITS NOSE POINTED AT THE EXTENDED CENTERLINE.
THE PILOT INDICATED THAT HE HAD 245 HOURS OF FLIGHT TIME IN THE LAST 90 DAYS AND 340 HOURS IN THE LAST YEAR, HOWEVER, ONLY 2 HOURS IN THE LAST 90 DAYS WERE FIXED WING TIME AND 9 HOURS FIXED WING TIME IN THE LAST YEAR. THE REMAINDER OF HIS FLIGHT TIME WAS ROTARY WING.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH A STALL WARNING DEVICE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.