What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On November 20, 2022, at 1321 this office became aware of this accident when inspector received a call from the FAA south west regional operations center.
Inspector arrived at the site privacy data omitted approximately 2 NM NE of dry creek airport (TS07) on 11/20/2022 around 15:00. At arrival dps on-site indicated pilot and passenger were transported to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries. I did an initial assessment of the aircraft. Contacted the sw region operations center and the NTSB for a preliminary briefing. I ask the NTSB for authorization to relocate the aircraft. Relocalization authorized. Pilot reported to Texas department of public safety on site that the engine quit, he tried to land in a nearby field, missed the field hit a three and a power pole before crashing.
The flight originated in cleveland, TX. The pilot reported his name to be privacy data omitted
In an interview with inspectorprivacy data omitted the PIC stated all was good on a sightseeing flight until they were northwest bound from downtown when the engine started running rough. They were about 1.5 hours into the flight when the aircraft started shaking violently - not subtle at all. He started looking for the closest airport and realized they would have to land in a field. He tried troubleshooting, checking engine instruments, pushing mixture control full in, checking the fuel selector valve, and pulling carburetor heat. Carb heat, he said, caused the engine roughness to worsen. After about a minute, he pushed it back in.
Eventually all got quiet, he tried a restart, squawked 7700 and landed in a field.
PIC stated he has at least 150 hours in the aircraft and flies it one to two times a week.
PIC reported the passenger just sat there and tried to remain calm. When asked about fueling, he said they topped the tanks and sumped them to check for water.
The aircraft departed cleveland municipal airport (6R3) and came to rest in the ditch on the north side of fritsche cemetery road (a dead end road approximately 100 yards west of the dead end.) In Cypress, TX. 77429. On November 22, 2022 inspector privacy data omitted travelled to the site to oversee the recovery of the aircraft performed by lone star retrieval. Inspector privacy data omitted took pictures and examined the engine assembly once the engine cowling was removed and the aircraft was positioned on the road. The engine appeared to be seized. The recovery crew removed 2.5 gallons of fuel from the right wing and 5.25 gallons of fuel from the left wing. Inspector stricker collected samples of the fuel removed from both wings. Fuel appeared light blue in color and clear of any contaminates. While on scene inspectorprivacy data omitted examined the field where the aircraft attempted to land. Skid marks indicate that the aircraft was heading 247 degrees when it encountered a small levee and become airborne again. The aircraft struck a large tree, a wooden fence and a telephone pole with its left wing. Damage on the right aileron is consistent with a small piece of metal hanging on one of the lines going to the telephone pole. The aircraft came to rest in the ditch of fritsche cemetery road.
On December 5, 2022 inspectorsprivacy data omitted travelled to cleveland municipal airport to examine the engine further. Upon removing the top spark plugs it was discovered that the number 3 piston was damaged. When the number 3 cylinder was removed it was discovered that the exhaust valve had broken off and contacted the piston causing extensive damage. With the cylinder removed the engine still didn’t rotate. In the accident the gear driven alternator was damaged. That damage wouldn’t allow the alternator or the engine to rotate. The alternator was removed allowing the engine to rotate. The left magneto had to be removed in order to access the alternator. The aircraft records were inspected and indicated that the last annual was performed on March
As the FAA filed it
ON NOVEMBER 20, 2022, AT 1321 THIS OFFICE BECAME AWARE OF THIS ACCIDENT WHEN INSPECTOR RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE FAA SOUTH WEST REGIONAL OPERATIONS CENTER.
INSPECTOR ARRIVED AT THE SITE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ APPROXIMATELY 2 NM NE OF DRY CREEK AIRPORT (TS07) ON 11/20/2022 AROUND 15:00. AT ARRIVAL DPS ON-SITE INDICATED PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE TRANSPORTED TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL WITH NON-LIFE THREATENING INJURIES. I DID AN INITIAL ASSESSMENT OF THE AIRCRAFT. CONTACTED THE SW REGION OPERATIONS CENTER AND THE NTSB FOR A PRELIMINARY BRIEFING. I ASK THE NTSB FOR AUTHORIZATION TO RELOCATE THE AIRCRAFT. RELOCALIZATION AUTHORIZED. PILOT REPORTED TO TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY ON SITE THAT THE ENGINE QUIT, HE TRIED TO LAND IN A NEARBY FIELD, MISSED THE FIELD HIT A THREE AND A POWER POLE BEFORE CRASHING.
THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED IN CLEVELAND, TX. THE PILOT REPORTED HIS NAME TO BE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^
IN AN INTERVIEW WITH INSPECTOR^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THE PIC STATED ALL WAS GOOD ON A SIGHTSEEING FLIGHT UNTIL THEY WERE NORTHWEST BOUND FROM DOWNTOWN WHEN THE ENGINE STARTED RUNNING ROUGH. THEY WERE ABOUT 1.5 HOURS INTO THE FLIGHT WHEN THE AIRCRAFT STARTED SHAKING VIOLENTLY - NOT SUBTLE AT ALL. HE STARTED LOOKING FOR THE CLOSEST AIRPORT AND REALIZED THEY WOULD HAVE TO LAND IN A FIELD. HE TRIED TROUBLESHOOTING, CHECKING ENGINE INSTRUMENTS, PUSHING MIXTURE CONTROL FULL IN, CHECKING THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE, AND PULLING CARBURETOR HEAT. CARB HEAT, HE SAID, CAUSED THE ENGINE ROUGHNESS TO WORSEN. AFTER ABOUT A MINUTE, HE PUSHED IT BACK IN.
EVENTUALLY ALL GOT QUIET, HE TRIED A RESTART, SQUAWKED 7700 AND LANDED IN A FIELD.
PIC STATED HE HAS AT LEAST 150 HOURS IN THE AIRCRAFT AND FLIES IT ONE TO TWO TIMES A WEEK.
PIC REPORTED THE PASSENGER JUST SAT THERE AND TRIED TO REMAIN CALM. WHEN ASKED ABOUT FUELING, HE SAID THEY TOPPED THE TANKS AND SUMPED THEM TO CHECK FOR WATER.
THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED CLEVELAND MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (6R3) AND CAME TO REST IN THE DITCH ON THE NORTH SIDE OF FRITSCHE CEMETERY ROAD (A DEAD END ROAD APPROXIMATELY 100 YARDS WEST OF THE DEAD END.) IN CYPRESS, TX. 77429. ON NOVEMBER 22, 2022 INSPECTOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TRAVELLED TO THE SITE TO OVERSEE THE RECOVERY OF THE AIRCRAFT PERFORMED BY LONE STAR RETRIEVAL. INSPECTOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TOOK PICTURES AND EXAMINED THE ENGINE ASSEMBLY ONCE THE ENGINE COWLING WAS REMOVED AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS POSITIONED ON THE ROAD. THE ENGINE APPEARED TO BE SEIZED. THE RECOVERY CREW REMOVED 2.5 GALLONS OF FUEL FROM THE RIGHT WING AND 5.25 GALLONS OF FUEL FROM THE LEFT WING. INSPECTOR STRICKER COLLECTED SAMPLES OF THE FUEL REMOVED FROM BOTH WINGS. FUEL APPEARED LIGHT BLUE IN COLOR AND CLEAR OF ANY CONTAMINATES. WHILE ON SCENE INSPECTOR^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ EXAMINED THE FIELD WHERE THE AIRCRAFT ATTEMPTED TO LAND. SKID MARKS INDICATE THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS HEADING 247 DEGREES WHEN IT ENCOUNTERED A SMALL LEVEE AND BECOME AIRBORNE AGAIN. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A LARGE TREE, A WOODEN FENCE AND A TELEPHONE POLE WITH ITS LEFT WING. DAMAGE ON THE RIGHT AILERON IS CONSISTENT WITH A SMALL PIECE OF METAL HANGING ON ONE OF THE LINES GOING TO THE TELEPHONE POLE. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST IN THE DITCH OF FRITSCHE CEMETERY ROAD.
ON DECEMBER 5, 2022 INSPECTORS^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TRAVELLED TO CLEVELAND MUNICIPAL AIRPORT TO EXAMINE THE ENGINE FURTHER. UPON REMOVING THE TOP SPARK PLUGS IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE NUMBER 3 PISTON WAS DAMAGED. WHEN THE NUMBER 3 CYLINDER WAS REMOVED IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE EXHAUST VALVE HAD BROKEN OFF AND CONTACTED THE PISTON CAUSING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE. WITH THE CYLINDER REMOVED THE ENGINE STILL DIDN’T ROTATE. IN THE ACCIDENT THE GEAR DRIVEN ALTERNATOR WAS DAMAGED. THAT DAMAGE WOULDN’T ALLOW THE ALTERNATOR OR THE ENGINE TO ROTATE. THE ALTERNATOR WAS REMOVED ALLOWING THE ENGINE TO ROTATE. THE LEFT MAGNETO HAD TO BE REMOVED IN ORDER TO ACCESS THE ALTERNATOR. THE AIRCRAFT RECORDS WERE INSPECTED AND INDICATED THAT THE LAST ANNUAL WAS PERFORMED ON MARCH
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.