What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
privacy data omitted Departed goodland Kansas after taking on 50 gallons of fuel in route to Riverdale Nebraska (43NE). On a northern approach, the pilot flew parallel to the north/south runway and set up for a landing to the south. The pilot did not extend the down wind leg FAR enough to align with the runway after his 180 degree LH turn to final. During the turn, the aircraft was put into a high degree bank, the engine(s) lost power, could not sustain flight, stalled and crashed into a cornfield less than half a mile from the runway. The aircraft at this point was travelling south, side-slipped into the cornfield with the left wing leading and the nose pointed west. After impact, the aircraft slid sideways for 276FT. And came to rest with the nose still facing west. The LH main tip tank separated from the wing and came to rest half way under the LH wing near the entry door at the trailing edge of the wing.
The salvage and recovery team went to the crash site and found there was no fuel in the LH main tip tank that separated from the wing. The RH main tip tank, which was intact and not compromised, was also found to have no fuel when drained. The fuel selector was turned to these main tanks. The aux tanks and wing locker tank were all drained and less than 5 gallons of fuel total was recovered by the salvage and recovery team. None of these tanks were compromised during the crash and there was no fuel spill nor fuel smell at the crash site.
Post accident interveiw and logbook review reveiled that the pilot did not have a current bi annual flight review.
Post accident investigation testing the fuel system was conducted. The wires that were cut during the recovery of the aircraft between the wing and fuselage were identified and reconnected using jumper wires. The main tank was filled with a known quantity of fuel and the aircraft powered up. The fuel indicator was switched between RH and LH main and both read correctly and functioned as designed.
A post accident 100 hour inspection of both LH and RH Continental gtsio 520H engines was conducted with the following results. Compression tests of both factory rebuilt engines returned results well into the acceptable manufacturere ranges. Both fuel pumps were connected and all fuel lines and connections were intact and without leaks. The starters were connected. Plugs and wires were in place and intact. Propellers were rotated and showed continuity throughout both engines to include the pushrods, pistons, crankshaft and rocker arms. The alternators both rotated and all 4 magnetos were removed and spun resulting in spark at all plug locations. All plugs were removed and inspected with the only anomoly being a small piece of insulator missing on one single plug. Except for obvious impact damage, there was no indication of any chaffed or damaged wires, loose harnesses, ground blocks or adel clamps. Intake ducts on both engines were compacted with debris from the crash site but the air filters were clean internally and no debris was found in the turbos or intake. Both intakes were attached and showed no signs of leaks. Throttles were intact and moved freely including the control cables. Oil was full, oil case was intact and showed no signs of leaks. All engine mounts were in place and intact.
As the FAA filed it
^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DEPARTED GOODLAND KANSAS AFTER TAKING ON 50 GALLONS OF FUEL IN ROUTE TO RIVERDALE NEBRASKA (43NE). ON A NORTHERN APPROACH, THE PILOT FLEW PARALLEL TO THE NORTH/SOUTH RUNWAY AND SET UP FOR A LANDING TO THE SOUTH. THE PILOT DID NOT EXTEND THE DOWN WIND LEG FAR ENOUGH TO ALIGN WITH THE RUNWAY AFTER HIS 180 DEGREE LH TURN TO FINAL. DURING THE TURN, THE AIRCRAFT WAS PUT INTO A HIGH DEGREE BANK, THE ENGINE(S) LOST POWER, COULD NOT SUSTAIN FLIGHT, STALLED AND CRASHED INTO A CORNFIELD LESS THAN HALF A MILE FROM THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT AT THIS POINT WAS TRAVELLING SOUTH, SIDE-SLIPPED INTO THE CORNFIELD WITH THE LEFT WING LEADING AND THE NOSE POINTED WEST. AFTER IMPACT, THE AIRCRAFT SLID SIDEWAYS FOR 276FT. AND CAME TO REST WITH THE NOSE STILL FACING WEST. THE LH MAIN TIP TANK SEPARATED FROM THE WING AND CAME TO REST HALF WAY UNDER THE LH WING NEAR THE ENTRY DOOR AT THE TRAILING EDGE OF THE WING.
THE SALVAGE AND RECOVERY TEAM WENT TO THE CRASH SITE AND FOUND THERE WAS NO FUEL IN THE LH MAIN TIP TANK THAT SEPARATED FROM THE WING. THE RH MAIN TIP TANK, WHICH WAS INTACT AND NOT COMPROMISED, WAS ALSO FOUND TO HAVE NO FUEL WHEN DRAINED. THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS TURNED TO THESE MAIN TANKS. THE AUX TANKS AND WING LOCKER TANK WERE ALL DRAINED AND LESS THAN 5 GALLONS OF FUEL TOTAL WAS RECOVERED BY THE SALVAGE AND RECOVERY TEAM. NONE OF THESE TANKS WERE COMPROMISED DURING THE CRASH AND THERE WAS NO FUEL SPILL NOR FUEL SMELL AT THE CRASH SITE.
POST ACCIDENT INTERVEIW AND LOGBOOK REVIEW REVEILED THAT THE PILOT DID NOT HAVE A CURRENT BI ANNUAL FLIGHT REVIEW.
POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION TESTING THE FUEL SYSTEM WAS CONDUCTED. THE WIRES THAT WERE CUT DURING THE RECOVERY OF THE AIRCRAFT BETWEEN THE WING AND FUSELAGE WERE IDENTIFIED AND RECONNECTED USING JUMPER WIRES. THE MAIN TANK WAS FILLED WITH A KNOWN QUANTITY OF FUEL AND THE AIRCRAFT POWERED UP. THE FUEL INDICATOR WAS SWITCHED BETWEEN RH AND LH MAIN AND BOTH READ CORRECTLY AND FUNCTIONED AS DESIGNED.
A POST ACCIDENT 100 HOUR INSPECTION OF BOTH LH AND RH CONTINENTAL GTSIO 520H ENGINES WAS CONDUCTED WITH THE FOLLOWING RESULTS. COMPRESSION TESTS OF BOTH FACTORY REBUILT ENGINES RETURNED RESULTS WELL INTO THE ACCEPTABLE MANUFACTURERE RANGES. BOTH FUEL PUMPS WERE CONNECTED AND ALL FUEL LINES AND CONNECTIONS WERE INTACT AND WITHOUT LEAKS. THE STARTERS WERE CONNECTED. PLUGS AND WIRES WERE IN PLACE AND INTACT. PROPELLERS WERE ROTATED AND SHOWED CONTINUITY THROUGHOUT BOTH ENGINES TO INCLUDE THE PUSHRODS, PISTONS, CRANKSHAFT AND ROCKER ARMS. THE ALTERNATORS BOTH ROTATED AND ALL 4 MAGNETOS WERE REMOVED AND SPUN RESULTING IN SPARK AT ALL PLUG LOCATIONS. ALL PLUGS WERE REMOVED AND INSPECTED WITH THE ONLY ANOMOLY BEING A SMALL PIECE OF INSULATOR MISSING ON ONE SINGLE PLUG. EXCEPT FOR OBVIOUS IMPACT DAMAGE, THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF ANY CHAFFED OR DAMAGED WIRES, LOOSE HARNESSES, GROUND BLOCKS OR ADEL CLAMPS. INTAKE DUCTS ON BOTH ENGINES WERE COMPACTED WITH DEBRIS FROM THE CRASH SITE BUT THE AIR FILTERS WERE CLEAN INTERNALLY AND NO DEBRIS WAS FOUND IN THE TURBOS OR INTAKE. BOTH INTAKES WERE ATTACHED AND SHOWED NO SIGNS OF LEAKS. THROTTLES WERE INTACT AND MOVED FREELY INCLUDING THE CONTROL CABLES. OIL WAS FULL, OIL CASE WAS INTACT AND SHOWED NO SIGNS OF LEAKS. ALL ENGINE MOUNTS WERE IN PLACE AND INTACT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.