What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On March 25, 2022 a 1971 Bellanca; model: 17-30A; serial number: 30383; registered as N8869V crashed and was severely damaged after an unsuccessful landing at Sharp County Regional Airport (cvk), Arkansas. The pilot in command (PIC) sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was airlifted to the hospital.
FAA investigator in charge (iic) dispatched to the scene on March 26, 2022. The aircraft impacted the ground approximately 130 feet beyond the threshold of runway 22 and approximately 325 feet left of the runway centerline. After impact, the aircraft spun in a counter clock-wise direction, slid about 120 feet, and wedged under the airport perimeter fence. The aircraft sustained significant damage and all wreckage was confined to an area of about 50 feet.
The engine appeared intact but partially detached from the aircraft due to a broken engine mount. The propeller was detached from the engine and found about 25 feet directly off the nose and leaning against the airport perimeter fence. The propeller blades were straight with very minimal curling seeming to indicate no torque when it impacted the ground. The propeller attach bolts were found in the prop hub with the threads of sheared off propeller assembly. The propeller hub was not deformed and appears straight and true. FAA iic confirmed flight control continuity at the scene.
FAA iic recovered a privacy data omitted video camera which recorded the landing from the top of the instrument panel looking forward. From that vantage point, the camera recorded the top of the engine cowling and the propeller.
Video captured a relatively high, unstable, and fast approach. Once established on final, the aircraft seems to yaw left and right as the PIC attempted to adjust for the strong cross wind. The aircraft appeared high over runway threshold and it appears the pilot attempted the balked landing (go-around) when the aircraft was close to the mid-point of the runway. The camera recorded the stall warning horn intermittently sounding throughout this landing sequence.
According to interviews with the pilot, once established on final, the PIC experienced unexpected winds and decided to execute a go-around rather than force a bad landing. According to the PIC, immediately after advancing the throttle, the engine popped and sputtered and failed to produce power. The PIC was too low for a successful restart and decided to point the aircraft to the south for an emergency off-field landing.
Of note, the video recording does not capture cockpit control manipulation but does capture an unidentified ?bang?. While the propeller never stops rotating, after the unidentified bang, the propeller seems to act differently. FAA iic could not determine a probable cause from an on-scene investigation.
The aircraft departed mountain home with about 70 gallons of fuel. The FAA iic found the aircraft?s right tank with full of fuel and the left tank (which dislodged during impact) had a significant amount of fuel. Fuel samples were taken at the scene and appear unremarkable.
PIC has roughly 80 total flight hours, 25 hours in this make and model, and less than one hour within the last 90 days.
The incident flight originated from mountain home (kbpk), Arkansas and total flight time was approximately 35 minutes. Prior to departing kbpk, PIC obtained weather information from foreflight. Foreflight predicted 6-knot winds at cvk. PIC did not obtain updated winds/weather in flight and there is no AWOS (or other automated weather service) at cvk.
The incident flight was the aircraft?s first flight after completing its annual inspection.
A detailed engine and airframe teardown and inspection is required. As of this report, we are awaiting NTSB coordination for the airframe and engine teardown and inspection.
As the FAA filed it
ON MARCH 25, 2022 A 1971 BELLANCA; MODEL: 17-30A; SERIAL NUMBER: 30383; REGISTERED AS N8869V CRASHED AND WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED AFTER AN UNSUCCESSFUL LANDING AT SHARP COUNTY REGIONAL AIRPORT (CVK), ARKANSAS. THE PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC) SUSTAINED NON-LIFE-THREATENING INJURIES AND WAS AIRLIFTED TO THE HOSPITAL.
FAA INVESTIGATOR IN CHARGE (IIC) DISPATCHED TO THE SCENE ON MARCH 26, 2022. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND APPROXIMATELY 130 FEET BEYOND THE THRESHOLD OF RUNWAY 22 AND APPROXIMATELY 325 FEET LEFT OF THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE. AFTER IMPACT, THE AIRCRAFT SPUN IN A COUNTER CLOCK-WISE DIRECTION, SLID ABOUT 120 FEET, AND WEDGED UNDER THE AIRPORT PERIMETER FENCE. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE AND ALL WRECKAGE WAS CONFINED TO AN AREA OF ABOUT 50 FEET.
THE ENGINE APPEARED INTACT BUT PARTIALLY DETACHED FROM THE AIRCRAFT DUE TO A BROKEN ENGINE MOUNT. THE PROPELLER WAS DETACHED FROM THE ENGINE AND FOUND ABOUT 25 FEET DIRECTLY OFF THE NOSE AND LEANING AGAINST THE AIRPORT PERIMETER FENCE. THE PROPELLER BLADES WERE STRAIGHT WITH VERY MINIMAL CURLING SEEMING TO INDICATE NO TORQUE WHEN IT IMPACTED THE GROUND. THE PROPELLER ATTACH BOLTS WERE FOUND IN THE PROP HUB WITH THE THREADS OF SHEARED OFF PROPELLER ASSEMBLY. THE PROPELLER HUB WAS NOT DEFORMED AND APPEARS STRAIGHT AND TRUE. FAA IIC CONFIRMED FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY AT THE SCENE.
FAA IIC RECOVERED A ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ VIDEO CAMERA WHICH RECORDED THE LANDING FROM THE TOP OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LOOKING FORWARD. FROM THAT VANTAGE POINT, THE CAMERA RECORDED THE TOP OF THE ENGINE COWLING AND THE PROPELLER.
VIDEO CAPTURED A RELATIVELY HIGH, UNSTABLE, AND FAST APPROACH. ONCE ESTABLISHED ON FINAL, THE AIRCRAFT SEEMS TO YAW LEFT AND RIGHT AS THE PIC ATTEMPTED TO ADJUST FOR THE STRONG CROSS WIND. THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED HIGH OVER RUNWAY THRESHOLD AND IT APPEARS THE PILOT ATTEMPTED THE BALKED LANDING (GO-AROUND) WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WAS CLOSE TO THE MID-POINT OF THE RUNWAY. THE CAMERA RECORDED THE STALL WARNING HORN INTERMITTENTLY SOUNDING THROUGHOUT THIS LANDING SEQUENCE.
ACCORDING TO INTERVIEWS WITH THE PILOT, ONCE ESTABLISHED ON FINAL, THE PIC EXPERIENCED UNEXPECTED WINDS AND DECIDED TO EXECUTE A GO-AROUND RATHER THAN FORCE A BAD LANDING. ACCORDING TO THE PIC, IMMEDIATELY AFTER ADVANCING THE THROTTLE, THE ENGINE POPPED AND SPUTTERED AND FAILED TO PRODUCE POWER. THE PIC WAS TOO LOW FOR A SUCCESSFUL RESTART AND DECIDED TO POINT THE AIRCRAFT TO THE SOUTH FOR AN EMERGENCY OFF-FIELD LANDING.
OF NOTE, THE VIDEO RECORDING DOES NOT CAPTURE COCKPIT CONTROL MANIPULATION BUT DOES CAPTURE AN UNIDENTIFIED ?BANG?. WHILE THE PROPELLER NEVER STOPS ROTATING, AFTER THE UNIDENTIFIED BANG, THE PROPELLER SEEMS TO ACT DIFFERENTLY. FAA IIC COULD NOT DETERMINE A PROBABLE CAUSE FROM AN ON-SCENE INVESTIGATION.
THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED MOUNTAIN HOME WITH ABOUT 70 GALLONS OF FUEL. THE FAA IIC FOUND THE AIRCRAFT?S RIGHT TANK WITH FULL OF FUEL AND THE LEFT TANK (WHICH DISLODGED DURING IMPACT) HAD A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF FUEL. FUEL SAMPLES WERE TAKEN AT THE SCENE AND APPEAR UNREMARKABLE.
PIC HAS ROUGHLY 80 TOTAL FLIGHT HOURS, 25 HOURS IN THIS MAKE AND MODEL, AND LESS THAN ONE HOUR WITHIN THE LAST 90 DAYS.
THE INCIDENT FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM MOUNTAIN HOME (KBPK), ARKANSAS AND TOTAL FLIGHT TIME WAS APPROXIMATELY 35 MINUTES. PRIOR TO DEPARTING KBPK, PIC OBTAINED WEATHER INFORMATION FROM FOREFLIGHT. FOREFLIGHT PREDICTED 6-KNOT WINDS AT CVK. PIC DID NOT OBTAIN UPDATED WINDS/WEATHER IN FLIGHT AND THERE IS NO AWOS (OR OTHER AUTOMATED WEATHER SERVICE) AT CVK.
THE INCIDENT FLIGHT WAS THE AIRCRAFT?S FIRST FLIGHT AFTER COMPLETING ITS ANNUAL INSPECTION.
A DETAILED ENGINE AND AIRFRAME TEARDOWN AND INSPECTION IS REQUIRED. AS OF THIS REPORT, WE ARE AWAITING NTSB COORDINATION FOR THE AIRFRAME AND ENGINE TEARDOWN AND INSPECTION.
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 N8869V · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.