What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On Saturday, may 3rd, at approximately 11:30AM, the pilot had an off-field landing with privacy data omitted a Cessna 172, just off the north end of the airstrip in Hastings, Florida. The pilot self extracted from the plane and walked to the farmer’s warehouse where he was met by emergency responders.
The pilot statement is as follows. The flight was intended mainly to exercise the aircraft, staying in the pattern a maximum of 15-20 minutes. He preformed what he thought was a thorough preflight including sumping and checking the fuel, oil, and adding air pressure to the tires. He decscribed his runup was thorough doing multiple mag-drop tests, taxi-ing and testing brakes and flight controls to name a few items. He had the plane’s POH on his lap for reference.
The wind was strong from the north, so he departed on 18. He had good power, air speed and control. He was well over 500 feet at the end of the runway and was about to make a left crosswind, when suddenly he felt a significant drop in power. This loss in power occurred before pulling back on the throttle. He changed course from making a left crosswind to making a right 180 to return quicker to the field. He was immediately over the field and too high. He pulled back all the throttle, added flaps, and also tried to slip the plane to lose altitude. The strong tailwind did not help and he immediately knew he would not have enough runway. Thinking the engine was on, but with reduced power, he made the decision to remove the flaps and apply full throttle. There was no response and the plane continued to lose altitude. He maintained runway heading and the plane came to rest in the farmers cabbage field at the north end of the airstrip. The aircraft appeared to have sustain substantual damage.
Fuel sumps and tanks were checked, no fuel detected and no fuel smell in the area of the crash. No fire was detected within the aircraft crash area. The only aircraft component seen that seperated from the aircraft was the nose strut assembly found 15 feet to the right-wing tip trailing edge area.
As the FAA filed it
ON SATURDAY, MAY 3RD, AT APPROXIMATELY 11:30AM, THE PILOT HAD AN OFF-FIELD LANDING WITH ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ A CESSNA 172, JUST OFF THE NORTH END OF THE AIRSTRIP IN HASTINGS, FLORIDA. THE PILOT SELF EXTRACTED FROM THE PLANE AND WALKED TO THE FARMER’S WAREHOUSE WHERE HE WAS MET BY EMERGENCY RESPONDERS.
THE PILOT STATEMENT IS AS FOLLOWS. THE FLIGHT WAS INTENDED MAINLY TO EXERCISE THE AIRCRAFT, STAYING IN THE PATTERN A MAXIMUM OF 15-20 MINUTES. HE PREFORMED WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS A THOROUGH PREFLIGHT INCLUDING SUMPING AND CHECKING THE FUEL, OIL, AND ADDING AIR PRESSURE TO THE TIRES. HE DECSCRIBED HIS RUNUP WAS THOROUGH DOING MULTIPLE MAG-DROP TESTS, TAXI-ING AND TESTING BRAKES AND FLIGHT CONTROLS TO NAME A FEW ITEMS. HE HAD THE PLANE’S POH ON HIS LAP FOR REFERENCE.
THE WIND WAS STRONG FROM THE NORTH, SO HE DEPARTED ON 18. HE HAD GOOD POWER, AIR SPEED AND CONTROL. HE WAS WELL OVER 500 FEET AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY AND WAS ABOUT TO MAKE A LEFT CROSSWIND, WHEN SUDDENLY HE FELT A SIGNIFICANT DROP IN POWER. THIS LOSS IN POWER OCCURRED BEFORE PULLING BACK ON THE THROTTLE. HE CHANGED COURSE FROM MAKING A LEFT CROSSWIND TO MAKING A RIGHT 180 TO RETURN QUICKER TO THE FIELD. HE WAS IMMEDIATELY OVER THE FIELD AND TOO HIGH. HE PULLED BACK ALL THE THROTTLE, ADDED FLAPS, AND ALSO TRIED TO SLIP THE PLANE TO LOSE ALTITUDE. THE STRONG TAILWIND DID NOT HELP AND HE IMMEDIATELY KNEW HE WOULD NOT HAVE ENOUGH RUNWAY. THINKING THE ENGINE WAS ON, BUT WITH REDUCED POWER, HE MADE THE DECISION TO REMOVE THE FLAPS AND APPLY FULL THROTTLE. THERE WAS NO RESPONSE AND THE PLANE CONTINUED TO LOSE ALTITUDE. HE MAINTAINED RUNWAY HEADING AND THE PLANE CAME TO REST IN THE FARMERS CABBAGE FIELD AT THE NORTH END OF THE AIRSTRIP. THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO HAVE SUSTAIN SUBSTANTUAL DAMAGE.
FUEL SUMPS AND TANKS WERE CHECKED, NO FUEL DETECTED AND NO FUEL SMELL IN THE AREA OF THE CRASH. NO FIRE WAS DETECTED WITHIN THE AIRCRAFT CRASH AREA. THE ONLY AIRCRAFT COMPONENT SEEN THAT SEPERATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT WAS THE NOSE STRUT ASSEMBLY FOUND 15 FEET TO THE RIGHT-WING TIP TRAILING EDGE AREA.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.