What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 14, 2024, at 1500 local time, a Cessna 180J aircraft, privacy data omitted, registered to a flying club and flown by a commercial rated flight instructor sustained substantial damage following a loss of control and subsequent impact following a balked landing and attempted go-around at a private grass runway near the town of Leroy, Michigan. Visual flight rules (VFR) meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight was being conducted under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations (CFR) part 91 without a flight plan. Both the pilot and passenger received minor injuries.
According to the pilot he was giving an airplane ride to the passenger and had departed wexford county airport (cad), cadillac, Michigan approximately 30 minutes prior to the accident. While in flight the pilot decided to demonstrate the short field take-off and landing capabilities of the aircraft and initiated a landing at the private 800’X40’ grass runway. During short final, the pilot states, they experienced a higher than usual sink rate and added power prior to touchdown resulting in the aircraft landing further down the runway than usual. The pilot then applied brake, but felt the aircraft was not slowing down so he initiated a go-around applying full power while pulling back on the yoke to get the aircraft airborne again. At this time the pilot reached twice for the panel to raise the flaps not remembering the flaps were controlled by a manual flap bar located on the floor between the front seats. The pilot and passenger both state the aircraft was approximately 100 feet off the ground and drifting to the left of the runway centerline when they heard the impact of small branches on the wings. According to the pilot he believes he hit a tree with the left wing that caused the aircraft to roll to the left and descend to the ground. The pilot then shut all aircraft electrical power and fuel off and both egresses unaided from the aircraft.
Neighbors who heard the accident notified fire and rescue and shortly after, both pilot and passenger were transported by ambulance to a local hospital.
Investigation reveals the aircraft intact in a vertical position in a densely wooded area on a heading of 190 degrees. The engine and propeller are buried in the mud up the a posts of the fuselage. The cabin area shows only minor crushing with both seats still attached to the floor. Both pilot and passenger were wearing lap belt and shoulder harnesses at the time of the accident. The throttle and propeller controls are pulled rearward, and the flap handle is in the full deployed position. The fuselage does show some minor crush damage aft of the cabin. The right wing shows very minor impact damage as it did not contact the ground during the accident sequence. The left wing remains attached to the fuselage but exhibits extensive ground impact damage with rearward bending outboard of the fuel cell. The leading edge of the left wing shows rearward crush area aft of the wing spar. No tree impact damage could be determined on either wing. There was no post-crash fire, and it is unknown if the ELT deployed. Control continuity was established to all flight controls. Additionally, the pilot stated there was no mechanical issue with the aircraft prior to impact.
Weather was reported as: kcad 141855Z auto 23009G14KT 10SM SCT029 28/20 A2990.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 14, 2024, AT 1500 LOCAL TIME, A CESSNA 180J AIRCRAFT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, REGISTERED TO A FLYING CLUB AND FLOWN BY A COMMERCIAL RATED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE FOLLOWING A LOSS OF CONTROL AND SUBSEQUENT IMPACT FOLLOWING A BALKED LANDING AND ATTEMPTED GO-AROUND AT A PRIVATE GRASS RUNWAY NEAR THE TOWN OF LEROY, MICHIGAN. VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91 WITHOUT A FLIGHT PLAN. BOTH THE PILOT AND PASSENGER RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES.
ACCORDING TO THE PILOT HE WAS GIVING AN AIRPLANE RIDE TO THE PASSENGER AND HAD DEPARTED WEXFORD COUNTY AIRPORT (CAD), CADILLAC, MICHIGAN APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. WHILE IN FLIGHT THE PILOT DECIDED TO DEMONSTRATE THE SHORT FIELD TAKE-OFF AND LANDING CAPABILITIES OF THE AIRCRAFT AND INITIATED A LANDING AT THE PRIVATE 800’X40’ GRASS RUNWAY. DURING SHORT FINAL, THE PILOT STATES, THEY EXPERIENCED A HIGHER THAN USUAL SINK RATE AND ADDED POWER PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN RESULTING IN THE AIRCRAFT LANDING FURTHER DOWN THE RUNWAY THAN USUAL. THE PILOT THEN APPLIED BRAKE, BUT FELT THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT SLOWING DOWN SO HE INITIATED A GO-AROUND APPLYING FULL POWER WHILE PULLING BACK ON THE YOKE TO GET THE AIRCRAFT AIRBORNE AGAIN. AT THIS TIME THE PILOT REACHED TWICE FOR THE PANEL TO RAISE THE FLAPS NOT REMEMBERING THE FLAPS WERE CONTROLLED BY A MANUAL FLAP BAR LOCATED ON THE FLOOR BETWEEN THE FRONT SEATS. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER BOTH STATE THE AIRCRAFT WAS APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET OFF THE GROUND AND DRIFTING TO THE LEFT OF THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE WHEN THEY HEARD THE IMPACT OF SMALL BRANCHES ON THE WINGS. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT HE BELIEVES HE HIT A TREE WITH THE LEFT WING THAT CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO ROLL TO THE LEFT AND DESCEND TO THE GROUND. THE PILOT THEN SHUT ALL AIRCRAFT ELECTRICAL POWER AND FUEL OFF AND BOTH EGRESSES UNAIDED FROM THE AIRCRAFT.
NEIGHBORS WHO HEARD THE ACCIDENT NOTIFIED FIRE AND RESCUE AND SHORTLY AFTER, BOTH PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE TRANSPORTED BY AMBULANCE TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL.
INVESTIGATION REVEALS THE AIRCRAFT INTACT IN A VERTICAL POSITION IN A DENSELY WOODED AREA ON A HEADING OF 190 DEGREES. THE ENGINE AND PROPELLER ARE BURIED IN THE MUD UP THE A POSTS OF THE FUSELAGE. THE CABIN AREA SHOWS ONLY MINOR CRUSHING WITH BOTH SEATS STILL ATTACHED TO THE FLOOR. BOTH PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE WEARING LAP BELT AND SHOULDER HARNESSES AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE THROTTLE AND PROPELLER CONTROLS ARE PULLED REARWARD, AND THE FLAP HANDLE IS IN THE FULL DEPLOYED POSITION. THE FUSELAGE DOES SHOW SOME MINOR CRUSH DAMAGE AFT OF THE CABIN. THE RIGHT WING SHOWS VERY MINOR IMPACT DAMAGE AS IT DID NOT CONTACT THE GROUND DURING THE ACCIDENT SEQUENCE. THE LEFT WING REMAINS ATTACHED TO THE FUSELAGE BUT EXHIBITS EXTENSIVE GROUND IMPACT DAMAGE WITH REARWARD BENDING OUTBOARD OF THE FUEL CELL. THE LEADING EDGE OF THE LEFT WING SHOWS REARWARD CRUSH AREA AFT OF THE WING SPAR. NO TREE IMPACT DAMAGE COULD BE DETERMINED ON EITHER WING. THERE WAS NO POST-CRASH FIRE, AND IT IS UNKNOWN IF THE ELT DEPLOYED. CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED TO ALL FLIGHT CONTROLS. ADDITIONALLY, THE PILOT STATED THERE WAS NO MECHANICAL ISSUE WITH THE AIRCRAFT PRIOR TO IMPACT.
WEATHER WAS REPORTED AS: KCAD 141855Z AUTO 23009G14KT 10SM SCT029 28/20 A2990.
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 N7827K · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.