What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On FEBRUARY21, 2022, at approximately 1355 eastern standard time, a 1977 Bellanca citabria aircraft, N2521, sustained substantial damage following a collision with terrain while on approach to the Franklin Flying Field Airport (3FK) located near Franklin, Indiana.
The commercial/flight instructor pilot occupant was seriously injured and there were no passengers onboard. The airplane was privacy data omitted and was being operated under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed or required.
Witnesses had reported hearing/seeing an aircraft doing touch and goes. From outside a hangar, one witness reporting seeing the aircraft departing runway two-one with its right wing tilted high in the air. A second witness, outside of a hangar, reported seeing an aircraft Flying from east to west. The witness heard the engine rev up, as though doing a pre-takeoff magneto check, and then a few seconds later heard an impact noise. The witness saw the aircraft had impacted the ground just northeast of the hangar and called 911 then ran to the aircraft to aid the pilot. The witness asked the pilot what had happened, and under a faint but understandable statement the pilot stated ?I had a stall on a touch and go?.
The pilot applied for a medical certificate on October 13, 2020. The FAA?s medical certification requested additional medical information to continue with the application in order to determine qualification. The FAA denied his medical on January 8, 2021 due to the pilot not responding. The pilot's relatives subsequently provided an aopa basic medical self-assessment, dated January 20, 2021.
The indianapolis flight standards office will continue to investigate the medical certification discrepancy when able to communicate with the pilot. FAA form 8020-23 may be amended as needed.
As the FAA filed it
ON FEBRUARY21, 2022, AT APPROXIMATELY 1355 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A 1977 BELLANCA CITABRIA AIRCRAFT, N2521, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE FOLLOWING A COLLISION WITH TERRAIN WHILE ON APPROACH TO THE FRANKLIN FLYING FIELD AIRPORT (3FK) LOCATED NEAR FRANKLIN, INDIANA.
THE COMMERCIAL/FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR PILOT OCCUPANT WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED AND THERE WERE NO PASSENGERS ONBOARD. THE AIRPLANE WAS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND WAS BEING OPERATED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 AS A PERSONAL FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED OR REQUIRED.
WITNESSES HAD REPORTED HEARING/SEEING AN AIRCRAFT DOING TOUCH AND GOES. FROM OUTSIDE A HANGAR, ONE WITNESS REPORTING SEEING THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTING RUNWAY TWO-ONE WITH ITS RIGHT WING TILTED HIGH IN THE AIR. A SECOND WITNESS, OUTSIDE OF A HANGAR, REPORTED SEEING AN AIRCRAFT FLYING FROM EAST TO WEST. THE WITNESS HEARD THE ENGINE REV UP, AS THOUGH DOING A PRE-TAKEOFF MAGNETO CHECK, AND THEN A FEW SECONDS LATER HEARD AN IMPACT NOISE. THE WITNESS SAW THE AIRCRAFT HAD IMPACTED THE GROUND JUST NORTHEAST OF THE HANGAR AND CALLED 911 THEN RAN TO THE AIRCRAFT TO AID THE PILOT. THE WITNESS ASKED THE PILOT WHAT HAD HAPPENED, AND UNDER A FAINT BUT UNDERSTANDABLE STATEMENT THE PILOT STATED ?I HAD A STALL ON A TOUCH AND GO?.
THE PILOT APPLIED FOR A MEDICAL CERTIFICATE ON OCTOBER 13, 2020. THE FAA?S MEDICAL CERTIFICATION REQUESTED ADDITIONAL MEDICAL INFORMATION TO CONTINUE WITH THE APPLICATION IN ORDER TO DETERMINE QUALIFICATION. THE FAA DENIED HIS MEDICAL ON JANUARY 8, 2021 DUE TO THE PILOT NOT RESPONDING. THE PILOT'S RELATIVES SUBSEQUENTLY PROVIDED AN AOPA BASIC MEDICAL SELF-ASSESSMENT, DATED JANUARY 20, 2021.
THE INDIANAPOLIS FLIGHT STANDARDS OFFICE WILL CONTINUE TO INVESTIGATE THE MEDICAL CERTIFICATION DISCREPANCY WHEN ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE PILOT. FAA FORM 8020-23 MAY BE AMENDED AS NEEDED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.