What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 5, 2022 N2423A, CE-185 tailwheel aircraft, departed N41 Waterbury grass airstrip enroute to kwst westerly airport, single soul on board. The airman stated he checked the weather on his ipad prior to departure and stated he saw some gusty conditions in the area. The airman departed on a normal departure and stated he felt a strong downdraft and could not maintain altitude. The airman stated he attempted to climb but when he noticed he could not maintain altitude he attempted to steer it away from the trees however he ended up in the top of the canopy. The pilot stated he had no engine troubles or any other maintenance issues and the engine was active throughout the entire path downward into the trees. The aircraft landed nose down at a 45 degree angle with substantial damage to the right aileron, wing and the right fuel tank was found leaking. The tail was wrapped around a tree with substantial damage to the vertical stabilator. The propellor was damaged with evidence of active spinning as it came through the trees. The airman stated he shut down the aircrafts avionics, battery, magnetos and fuel shut off and self egressed. When he noticed the leaking fuel in the right wing, he stated he pushed a twig into the vent tube to prevent excessive fuel from leaking. The airman self egressed from the forest and was met by emergency crews. Airman sustained minor injuries to the head and the right arm and was transported for precautionary care to Waterbury hospital.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 5, 2022 N2423A, CE-185 TAILWHEEL AIRCRAFT, DEPARTED N41 WATERBURY GRASS AIRSTRIP ENROUTE TO KWST WESTERLY AIRPORT, SINGLE SOUL ON BOARD. THE AIRMAN STATED HE CHECKED THE WEATHER ON HIS IPAD PRIOR TO DEPARTURE AND STATED HE SAW SOME GUSTY CONDITIONS IN THE AREA. THE AIRMAN DEPARTED ON A NORMAL DEPARTURE AND STATED HE FELT A STRONG DOWNDRAFT AND COULD NOT MAINTAIN ALTITUDE. THE AIRMAN STATED HE ATTEMPTED TO CLIMB BUT WHEN HE NOTICED HE COULD NOT MAINTAIN ALTITUDE HE ATTEMPTED TO STEER IT AWAY FROM THE TREES HOWEVER HE ENDED UP IN THE TOP OF THE CANOPY. THE PILOT STATED HE HAD NO ENGINE TROUBLES OR ANY OTHER MAINTENANCE ISSUES AND THE ENGINE WAS ACTIVE THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE PATH DOWNWARD INTO THE TREES. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED NOSE DOWN AT A 45 DEGREE ANGLE WITH SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT AILERON, WING AND THE RIGHT FUEL TANK WAS FOUND LEAKING. THE TAIL WAS WRAPPED AROUND A TREE WITH SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE VERTICAL STABILATOR. THE PROPELLOR WAS DAMAGED WITH EVIDENCE OF ACTIVE SPINNING AS IT CAME THROUGH THE TREES. THE AIRMAN STATED HE SHUT DOWN THE AIRCRAFTS AVIONICS, BATTERY, MAGNETOS AND FUEL SHUT OFF AND SELF EGRESSED. WHEN HE NOTICED THE LEAKING FUEL IN THE RIGHT WING, HE STATED HE PUSHED A TWIG INTO THE VENT TUBE TO PREVENT EXCESSIVE FUEL FROM LEAKING. THE AIRMAN SELF EGRESSED FROM THE FOREST AND WAS MET BY EMERGENCY CREWS. AIRMAN SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES TO THE HEAD AND THE RIGHT ARM AND WAS TRANSPORTED FOR PRECAUTIONARY CARE TO WATERBURY HOSPITAL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.