What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On June 24, 2022, a 1997 Patterson charles glasair ii aircraft departed lansing municapal airport (kigq) at approximately 1505 CDT. ADS-B data from AVP-100 indicates that the aircraft departed kigq to the south towards the vicinity of bult field (C56). The data indicated that at 15:17:51 CDT the aircraft was at an altitude of 2,500 feet. Four seconds later, at 15:17:55 CDT, the aircraft was shown to be at an altitude of 2,000 feet. The aircraft impacted the ground shortly thereafter approximately 2.5 nautical miles west-southwest of C56.
The PIC suffered severe injuries to his legs and lower torso and had to be cut out of the aircraft per first responders on site. There was no post crash fire nor injuries to property or persons on the ground.
The aircraft was destroyed.
According to ADS-B data collected through www. Flightaware.com , the PIC reached a maximum altitude of 4200 feet and a maximum speed of 142 knots. Just prior to impact, ADS-B data shows the aircraft at a groundspeed of 61 knots. The stall speed of this aircraft is 51 knots indicated airspeed according to the manufacturer, barring any modifications to the aircraft which would affect the stall speed.
There were two witnesses that provided statements. Both witnesses were located in the same location, approximately ¼ - ½ mile to the northwest of the accident scene. The first witness looked up to see the aircraft perfrom what he described as two “cartwheels.” he described these “cartwheels” to be rotating at an angle, not head over tail. He believed the aircraft was doing aerobatics. The aircraft then began to rotate in a slightly nose down attitude with the cockpit of the aircraft being upright, in a counterclockwise direction. The aircraft continued to do this until it made contact with the trees/ground. The witness was unsure if he saw the propeller turning. He stated that the aircraft appeared to be fully intact while airborne. He was unable to hear any aircraft sounds or the impact due to the loud machinery he was operating at the time.
The second witness was alerted by the first witness to look up at the aircraft. When he looked up, he stated that he saw the aircraft going straight down and spiraling. He was unsure if the propeller was spinning and did not notice any smoke coming from the aircraft.
There was no debris outside of the main crash area indicating a high angle impact. Using the ADS-B data that was provided to this office by AVP-100, it can be calculated that the aircraft was descending at a rate of approximately 7,500 feet per minute just prior to the accident.
As the FAA filed it
ON JUNE 24, 2022, A 1997 PATTERSON CHARLES GLASAIR II AIRCRAFT DEPARTED LANSING MUNICAPAL AIRPORT (KIGQ) AT APPROXIMATELY 1505 CDT. ADS-B DATA FROM AVP-100 INDICATES THAT THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED KIGQ TO THE SOUTH TOWARDS THE VICINITY OF BULT FIELD (C56). THE DATA INDICATED THAT AT 15:17:51 CDT THE AIRCRAFT WAS AT AN ALTITUDE OF 2,500 FEET. FOUR SECONDS LATER, AT 15:17:55 CDT, THE AIRCRAFT WAS SHOWN TO BE AT AN ALTITUDE OF 2,000 FEET. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND SHORTLY THEREAFTER APPROXIMATELY 2.5 NAUTICAL MILES WEST-SOUTHWEST OF C56.
THE PIC SUFFERED SEVERE INJURIES TO HIS LEGS AND LOWER TORSO AND HAD TO BE CUT OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT PER FIRST RESPONDERS ON SITE. THERE WAS NO POST CRASH FIRE NOR INJURIES TO PROPERTY OR PERSONS ON THE GROUND.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED.
ACCORDING TO ADS-B DATA COLLECTED THROUGH WWW.FLIGHTAWARE.COM , THE PIC REACHED A MAXIMUM ALTITUDE OF 4200 FEET AND A MAXIMUM SPEED OF 142 KNOTS. JUST PRIOR TO IMPACT, ADS-B DATA SHOWS THE AIRCRAFT AT A GROUNDSPEED OF 61 KNOTS. THE STALL SPEED OF THIS AIRCRAFT IS 51 KNOTS INDICATED AIRSPEED ACCORDING TO THE MANUFACTURER, BARRING ANY MODIFICATIONS TO THE AIRCRAFT WHICH WOULD AFFECT THE STALL SPEED.
THERE WERE TWO WITNESSES THAT PROVIDED STATEMENTS. BOTH WITNESSES WERE LOCATED IN THE SAME LOCATION, APPROXIMATELY ¼ - ½ MILE TO THE NORTHWEST OF THE ACCIDENT SCENE. THE FIRST WITNESS LOOKED UP TO SEE THE AIRCRAFT PERFROM WHAT HE DESCRIBED AS TWO “CARTWHEELS.” HE DESCRIBED THESE “CARTWHEELS” TO BE ROTATING AT AN ANGLE, NOT HEAD OVER TAIL. HE BELIEVED THE AIRCRAFT WAS DOING AEROBATICS. THE AIRCRAFT THEN BEGAN TO ROTATE IN A SLIGHTLY NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE WITH THE COCKPIT OF THE AIRCRAFT BEING UPRIGHT, IN A COUNTERCLOCKWISE DIRECTION. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO DO THIS UNTIL IT MADE CONTACT WITH THE TREES/GROUND. THE WITNESS WAS UNSURE IF HE SAW THE PROPELLER TURNING. HE STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO BE FULLY INTACT WHILE AIRBORNE. HE WAS UNABLE TO HEAR ANY AIRCRAFT SOUNDS OR THE IMPACT DUE TO THE LOUD MACHINERY HE WAS OPERATING AT THE TIME.
THE SECOND WITNESS WAS ALERTED BY THE FIRST WITNESS TO LOOK UP AT THE AIRCRAFT. WHEN HE LOOKED UP, HE STATED THAT HE SAW THE AIRCRAFT GOING STRAIGHT DOWN AND SPIRALING. HE WAS UNSURE IF THE PROPELLER WAS SPINNING AND DID NOT NOTICE ANY SMOKE COMING FROM THE AIRCRAFT.
THERE WAS NO DEBRIS OUTSIDE OF THE MAIN CRASH AREA INDICATING A HIGH ANGLE IMPACT. USING THE ADS-B DATA THAT WAS PROVIDED TO THIS OFFICE BY AVP-100, IT CAN BE CALCULATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESCENDING AT A RATE OF APPROXIMATELY 7,500 FEET PER MINUTE JUST PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.