What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On December 6, 2022, inspector bff received a call from roc after hours, reporting an aircraft accident. The police officer on scene stated an aircraft appeared to strike and damage a utility structure. There were only pieces of an aircraft, no main frame, engine or personnel were present. Photos show a left wing winglet and what appears to be part of the aileron, along with additional unidentified articles.
There was no report of an aircraft missing. The yellow color common on agriculture aircraft was scene on the impact witness mark on the utility box, along with the same yellow paint on the abandoned parts.
The accident was not reported and after numerous calls and some research, the office finally contacted a part 137 operator who admitted it was the operator's aircraft. When the operator was asked about damage and injuries, they stated only issue was winglet fell off. FAA asked about aileron damage and was told no damage except for winglet even though a photo shows a piece of flight control laying on ground.
The office recovered the parts on December 8, 2022 and determined the piece we believed was the aileron was actually the trailing edge of the wing, with folds resembling the leading edge of a control surface. Pictures taken that day also showed the wing was torn off from the area immediately outboard of the aileron to the wingtip, with the aileron unaffected. In addition, the front and rear spars were damaged, which was later confirmed by the ntsb's engineers and manufacturer.
The pilot has avoided the FAA and the NTSB. We have not been able to provide him with a pbr or get a statement and the NTSB has not received their form back for their report.
As the FAA filed it
ON DECEMBER 6, 2022, INSPECTOR BFF RECEIVED A CALL FROM ROC AFTER HOURS, REPORTING AN AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT. THE POLICE OFFICER ON SCENE STATED AN AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO STRIKE AND DAMAGE A UTILITY STRUCTURE. THERE WERE ONLY PIECES OF AN AIRCRAFT, NO MAIN FRAME, ENGINE OR PERSONNEL WERE PRESENT. PHOTOS SHOW A LEFT WING WINGLET AND WHAT APPEARS TO BE PART OF THE AILERON, ALONG WITH ADDITIONAL UNIDENTIFIED ARTICLES.
THERE WAS NO REPORT OF AN AIRCRAFT MISSING. THE YELLOW COLOR COMMON ON AGRICULTURE AIRCRAFT WAS SCENE ON THE IMPACT WITNESS MARK ON THE UTILITY BOX, ALONG WITH THE SAME YELLOW PAINT ON THE ABANDONED PARTS.
THE ACCIDENT WAS NOT REPORTED AND AFTER NUMEROUS CALLS AND SOME RESEARCH, THE OFFICE FINALLY CONTACTED A PART 137 OPERATOR WHO ADMITTED IT WAS THE OPERATOR'S AIRCRAFT. WHEN THE OPERATOR WAS ASKED ABOUT DAMAGE AND INJURIES, THEY STATED ONLY ISSUE WAS WINGLET FELL OFF. FAA ASKED ABOUT AILERON DAMAGE AND WAS TOLD NO DAMAGE EXCEPT FOR WINGLET EVEN THOUGH A PHOTO SHOWS A PIECE OF FLIGHT CONTROL LAYING ON GROUND.
THE OFFICE RECOVERED THE PARTS ON DECEMBER 8, 2022 AND DETERMINED THE PIECE WE BELIEVED WAS THE AILERON WAS ACTUALLY THE TRAILING EDGE OF THE WING, WITH FOLDS RESEMBLING THE LEADING EDGE OF A CONTROL SURFACE. PICTURES TAKEN THAT DAY ALSO SHOWED THE WING WAS TORN OFF FROM THE AREA IMMEDIATELY OUTBOARD OF THE AILERON TO THE WINGTIP, WITH THE AILERON UNAFFECTED. IN ADDITION, THE FRONT AND REAR SPARS WERE DAMAGED, WHICH WAS LATER CONFIRMED BY THE NTSB'S ENGINEERS AND MANUFACTURER.
THE PILOT HAS AVOIDED THE FAA AND THE NTSB. WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO PROVIDE HIM WITH A PBR OR GET A STATEMENT AND THE NTSB HAS NOT RECEIVED THEIR FORM BACK FOR THEIR REPORT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.