What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On Monday, November 28, 2022, at approximately 0915 CST, the will rogers FSDO received notification that privacy data omitted (with an expired/cancelled registration) a Cessna 170B serial number 25252 crashed at Gage Airport, Oklahoma at approximately 0826. Two occupants were onboard, both sustained fatal injuries.
The aircraft departed the grass runway towards the south, made a left bank turn and flew north past the west side of the hangar and FBO, continued flying north approximately one mile past the airport, then turned south towards the airport runway.
At approximately 0826, the aircraft impacted the ground in a near vertical attitude on the east side of the grass runway/west side of and directly between the FBO and hangar, on the airport asphalt parking area parallel to and approximately 150 feet from the grass runway. The witness stated they observed the takeoff, the fly by, and the return approach, and also said they heard the crash but did not see it impact the ground or descend because their back was turned to the aircraft when it went down.
There was no evidence of inflight or post-crash fire, however visible fuel and odor of fuel were observed. All major sections of the aircraft were identified at the immediate area of the crash site.
The phase of flight was unknown but was possibly configured for a final approach to land on the asphalt parking area or a low pass according to the witness statement.
The aircraft was observed to be nosed over onto its top with the upper wing surfaces on the ground, and the empennage section folded over onto the lower surface of the right wing in a “scorpion” like configuration.
Post-crash examination by the NTSB iic, Textron representative and FAA iic revealed the flight controls system had continuity, and the engine appeared to be producing power.
The operator of the aircraft could not be readily identified. Neither occupants held valid pilot and medical certificates. The occupant in the right seat was denied medical certificate by the FAA on 08/13/2012. Both handles on both yokes were broken off privacy data omitted. The medical examiner was not able to comment on injuries.
The occupant in the right seat was the last known registered owner of the aircraft. Ther registration expired on 10/31/2018 and the aircraft registration database showed the registration number expired/cancelled.
No aircraft maintenance records were identified. The date of the last 100-hour and/or annual inspection could not be identified. The aircraft total time could not be determined. No hobbs or total time meter was identified in the aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
ON MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2022, AT APPROXIMATELY 0915 CST, THE WILL ROGERS FSDO RECEIVED NOTIFICATION THAT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ (WITH AN EXPIRED/CANCELLED REGISTRATION) A CESSNA 170B SERIAL NUMBER 25252 CRASHED AT GAGE AIRPORT, OKLAHOMA AT APPROXIMATELY 0826. TWO OCCUPANTS WERE ONBOARD, BOTH SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES.
THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE GRASS RUNWAY TOWARDS THE SOUTH, MADE A LEFT BANK TURN AND FLEW NORTH PAST THE WEST SIDE OF THE HANGAR AND FBO, CONTINUED FLYING NORTH APPROXIMATELY ONE MILE PAST THE AIRPORT, THEN TURNED SOUTH TOWARDS THE AIRPORT RUNWAY.
AT APPROXIMATELY 0826, THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A NEAR VERTICAL ATTITUDE ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE GRASS RUNWAY/WEST SIDE OF AND DIRECTLY BETWEEN THE FBO AND HANGAR, ON THE AIRPORT ASPHALT PARKING AREA PARALLEL TO AND APPROXIMATELY 150 FEET FROM THE GRASS RUNWAY. THE WITNESS STATED THEY OBSERVED THE TAKEOFF, THE FLY BY, AND THE RETURN APPROACH, AND ALSO SAID THEY HEARD THE CRASH BUT DID NOT SEE IT IMPACT THE GROUND OR DESCEND BECAUSE THEIR BACK WAS TURNED TO THE AIRCRAFT WHEN IT WENT DOWN.
THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF INFLIGHT OR POST-CRASH FIRE, HOWEVER VISIBLE FUEL AND ODOR OF FUEL WERE OBSERVED. ALL MAJOR SECTIONS OF THE AIRCRAFT WERE IDENTIFIED AT THE IMMEDIATE AREA OF THE CRASH SITE.
THE PHASE OF FLIGHT WAS UNKNOWN BUT WAS POSSIBLY CONFIGURED FOR A FINAL APPROACH TO LAND ON THE ASPHALT PARKING AREA OR A LOW PASS ACCORDING TO THE WITNESS STATEMENT.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED TO BE NOSED OVER ONTO ITS TOP WITH THE UPPER WING SURFACES ON THE GROUND, AND THE EMPENNAGE SECTION FOLDED OVER ONTO THE LOWER SURFACE OF THE RIGHT WING IN A “SCORPION” LIKE CONFIGURATION.
POST-CRASH EXAMINATION BY THE NTSB IIC, TEXTRON REPRESENTATIVE AND FAA IIC REVEALED THE FLIGHT CONTROLS SYSTEM HAD CONTINUITY, AND THE ENGINE APPEARED TO BE PRODUCING POWER.
THE OPERATOR OF THE AIRCRAFT COULD NOT BE READILY IDENTIFIED. NEITHER OCCUPANTS HELD VALID PILOT AND MEDICAL CERTIFICATES. THE OCCUPANT IN THE RIGHT SEAT WAS DENIED MEDICAL CERTIFICATE BY THE FAA ON 08/13/2012. BOTH HANDLES ON BOTH YOKES WERE BROKEN OFF ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE MEDICAL EXAMINER WAS NOT ABLE TO COMMENT ON INJURIES.
THE OCCUPANT IN THE RIGHT SEAT WAS THE LAST KNOWN REGISTERED OWNER OF THE AIRCRAFT. THER REGISTRATION EXPIRED ON 10/31/2018 AND THE AIRCRAFT REGISTRATION DATABASE SHOWED THE REGISTRATION NUMBER EXPIRED/CANCELLED.
NO AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE RECORDS WERE IDENTIFIED. THE DATE OF THE LAST 100-HOUR AND/OR ANNUAL INSPECTION COULD NOT BE IDENTIFIED. THE AIRCRAFT TOTAL TIME COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. NO HOBBS OR TOTAL TIME METER WAS IDENTIFIED IN THE AIRCRAFT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.