What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Description of the deviation:
privacy data omitted, A stearman airplane, took off from the grass strip, rwy 16 at the Red Lodge Airport, kred, in Red Lodge, MT. Only 100 yards after the departure end of the runway, over a steep hillside sloping down from the airport, the pilot reported that the aircraft began to sink, though he could not tell if it was because of a partial power loss, or possibly from a downdraft or sinking air. The pilot made a slight right turn, parallel to the steep hillside to avoid the homes and powerlines in front of him in the valley. Approximately 300-400 yards from the departure end of the runway, the aircraft crashed into trees along the base of the hillside resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage, left and right wings. The pilot sustained minor injuries and the passenger sustained no injuries.
Causaul and/or contributing factors:
The pilot reported a normal take-off and climb out, normal take off distance and climb performance, airspeed and rate of climb, he noted, was nominal for the conditions. The AWOS reported winds calm within 5 minutes of the time of the accident. Post crash inspection of the aircraft by the investigating ASI revealed no potential issues that would lead to loss of power, no indications of turbulence, wind or potential for downdrafts were noted. The reason for the aircraft losing altitude slightly after departure could not be determined.
No ATC actions contributory to the event.
No recommendations for systemic corrective action.
Action taken to correct problem and prevent reoccurance:
The inspecting ASI determined that no action was required at the conclusion at this investigation. ASI note: given the circumstances and the location that the aircraft began to descend, the pilot managed to place the aircraft in the only location that wouldn’t have led to sustantial injury or loss of life of the occupants of the aircraft or persons and property on the surface.
NTSB evaluation of the aircraft and engine are pending.
Sas record #: NM05202302018
As the FAA filed it
DESCRIPTION OF THE DEVIATION:
^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, A STEARMAN AIRPLANE, TOOK OFF FROM THE GRASS STRIP, RWY 16 AT THE RED LODGE AIRPORT, KRED, IN RED LODGE, MT. ONLY 100 YARDS AFTER THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY, OVER A STEEP HILLSIDE SLOPING DOWN FROM THE AIRPORT, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO SINK, THOUGH HE COULD NOT TELL IF IT WAS BECAUSE OF A PARTIAL POWER LOSS, OR POSSIBLY FROM A DOWNDRAFT OR SINKING AIR. THE PILOT MADE A SLIGHT RIGHT TURN, PARALLEL TO THE STEEP HILLSIDE TO AVOID THE HOMES AND POWERLINES IN FRONT OF HIM IN THE VALLEY. APPROXIMATELY 300-400 YARDS FROM THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY, THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED INTO TREES ALONG THE BASE OF THE HILLSIDE RESULTING IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE FUSELAGE, LEFT AND RIGHT WINGS. THE PILOT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES AND THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED NO INJURIES.
CAUSAUL AND/OR CONTRIBUTING FACTORS:
THE PILOT REPORTED A NORMAL TAKE-OFF AND CLIMB OUT, NORMAL TAKE OFF DISTANCE AND CLIMB PERFORMANCE, AIRSPEED AND RATE OF CLIMB, HE NOTED, WAS NOMINAL FOR THE CONDITIONS. THE AWOS REPORTED WINDS CALM WITHIN 5 MINUTES OF THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. POST CRASH INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT BY THE INVESTIGATING ASI REVEALED NO POTENTIAL ISSUES THAT WOULD LEAD TO LOSS OF POWER, NO INDICATIONS OF TURBULENCE, WIND OR POTENTIAL FOR DOWNDRAFTS WERE NOTED. THE REASON FOR THE AIRCRAFT LOSING ALTITUDE SLIGHTLY AFTER DEPARTURE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED.
NO ATC ACTIONS CONTRIBUTORY TO THE EVENT.
NO RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SYSTEMIC CORRECTIVE ACTION.
ACTION TAKEN TO CORRECT PROBLEM AND PREVENT REOCCURANCE:
THE INSPECTING ASI DETERMINED THAT NO ACTION WAS REQUIRED AT THE CONCLUSION AT THIS INVESTIGATION. ASI NOTE: GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES AND THE LOCATION THAT THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO DESCEND, THE PILOT MANAGED TO PLACE THE AIRCRAFT IN THE ONLY LOCATION THAT WOULDN’T HAVE LED TO SUSTANTIAL INJURY OR LOSS OF LIFE OF THE OCCUPANTS OF THE AIRCRAFT OR PERSONS AND PROPERTY ON THE SURFACE.
NTSB EVALUATION OF THE AIRCRAFT AND ENGINE ARE PENDING.
SAS RECORD #: NM05202302018
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.