What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On August 7, 2024 at Herlong Recreational Airport (kheg), Jacksonville, Florida, at approximately 1600 pm EST, a single engine Beechcraft model 23 musketeer departed with a pilot and one passenger on board for the purpose of determining the source of a suspected engine oil leak. The aircraft climbed to 1500 feet with the intent of overflying the airfield once before going around a second time for landing. On the second pass, the pilot made the crosswind and downwind turns, descended to 1000 feet and slowed to 80 knots, upon turning to final approach the aircraft engine RPM was noted at 1500 RPM and an altitude of 700 feet. As the aircraft approached runway 29, the pilot felt the aircraft get slow, attempted to add throttle but the rpms dropped to 1000 RPM. The pilot noticed that the engine seemed to get quiet and there was no power which caused the aircraft to drop significantly from approximately 20 feet above the runway. The aircraft came down hard on the centerline causing the left main landing gear to collapse and resulted in substantial damage to the left wing structure as well as the aft fuselage/tail section. The aircraft then veered left into the grass where it stopped. No injuries to the pilot or passenger and no damage to airport property occurred.
As the FAA filed it
ON AUGUST 7, 2024 AT HERLONG RECREATIONAL AIRPORT (KHEG), JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA, AT APPROXIMATELY 1600 PM EST, A SINGLE ENGINE BEECHCRAFT MODEL 23 MUSKETEER DEPARTED WITH A PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER ON BOARD FOR THE PURPOSE OF DETERMINING THE SOURCE OF A SUSPECTED ENGINE OIL LEAK. THE AIRCRAFT CLIMBED TO 1500 FEET WITH THE INTENT OF OVERFLYING THE AIRFIELD ONCE BEFORE GOING AROUND A SECOND TIME FOR LANDING. ON THE SECOND PASS, THE PILOT MADE THE CROSSWIND AND DOWNWIND TURNS, DESCENDED TO 1000 FEET AND SLOWED TO 80 KNOTS, UPON TURNING TO FINAL APPROACH THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE RPM WAS NOTED AT 1500 RPM AND AN ALTITUDE OF 700 FEET. AS THE AIRCRAFT APPROACHED RUNWAY 29, THE PILOT FELT THE AIRCRAFT GET SLOW, ATTEMPTED TO ADD THROTTLE BUT THE RPMS DROPPED TO 1000 RPM. THE PILOT NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE SEEMED TO GET QUIET AND THERE WAS NO POWER WHICH CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO DROP SIGNIFICANTLY FROM APPROXIMATELY 20 FEET ABOVE THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT CAME DOWN HARD ON THE CENTERLINE CAUSING THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR TO COLLAPSE AND RESULTED IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING STRUCTURE AS WELL AS THE AFT FUSELAGE/TAIL SECTION. THE AIRCRAFT THEN VEERED LEFT INTO THE GRASS WHERE IT STOPPED. NO INJURIES TO THE PILOT OR PASSENGER AND NO DAMAGE TO AIRPORT PROPERTY OCCURRED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.