What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Following takeoff the airplane crashed into an open field, impacting a pond embankment just below the prop crushing the fixed NLG into the lower part of the engine causing the airplane to nose over on top of a barber wire fence a blackberry bushes. The pilot was helped out of the airplane by a witness. Followup investigation revealed that the two-prop had one blade bent back about 20 degrees and the other blade undamaged. Although the left- and right-wing fuel tanks caps were inaccessible at the accident site no fuel oder was present, there was no discoloration of the grass or blackberry bush leaves, and tapping on the tanks through the fabric skin of the lower wing indicated both tanks were empty. The eyewitness reported he observed the airplane from approximately a 1/2 mile prior to the accident. He heard the engine sputtering and quit. The pilot sustained a broken sternum, ribs, partial severing of the nose, and a borken orbital bone. He was unavailable for interview as a result.
As the FAA filed it
FOLLOWING TAKEOFF THE AIRPLANE CRASHED INTO AN OPEN FIELD, IMPACTING A POND EMBANKMENT JUST BELOW THE PROP CRUSHING THE FIXED NLG INTO THE LOWER PART OF THE ENGINE CAUSING THE AIRPLANE TO NOSE OVER ON TOP OF A BARBER WIRE FENCE A BLACKBERRY BUSHES. THE PILOT WAS HELPED OUT OF THE AIRPLANE BY A WITNESS. FOLLOWUP INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE TWO-PROP HAD ONE BLADE BENT BACK ABOUT 20 DEGREES AND THE OTHER BLADE UNDAMAGED. ALTHOUGH THE LEFT- AND RIGHT-WING FUEL TANKS CAPS WERE INACCESSIBLE AT THE ACCIDENT SITE NO FUEL ODER WAS PRESENT, THERE WAS NO DISCOLORATION OF THE GRASS OR BLACKBERRY BUSH LEAVES, AND TAPPING ON THE TANKS THROUGH THE FABRIC SKIN OF THE LOWER WING INDICATED BOTH TANKS WERE EMPTY. THE EYEWITNESS REPORTED HE OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE FROM APPROXIMATELY A 1/2 MILE PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. HE HEARD THE ENGINE SPUTTERING AND QUIT. THE PILOT SUSTAINED A BROKEN STERNUM, RIBS, PARTIAL SEVERING OF THE NOSE, AND A BORKEN ORBITAL BONE. HE WAS UNAVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEW AS A RESULT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N9507D · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.