What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 09/07/2025 at approximately 1020 eastern standard time, privacy data omitted an experimental-homebuilt carbon cub CCK-2000 aircraft, registered to and operated by a private pilot (PIC) with one passenger, received substantial damage when it landed in a tree approximately half mile south of Thompsonville Airport (7Y2). The PIC departed Thompsonville Airport at approximately 0900 heading for silver lake mi. About 20 minutes into the flight the PIC noticed a flicker on the garmin G3X screen but never received a voltage warning. This led the PIC to look at the engine monitoring screen which indicated the aircraft’s alternator was not charging and was showing 12.8 vdc. The PIC immediately started a climbing turn back to departing airport (7Y2). After reaching about 4000 ft. and enroute back, the PIC tried serval things to get the alternator working again including cycling both the field and main alternator breakers several times. The PIC checked the voltage in the backup ignition battery which read 12.8 vdc, which was good. Since PIC had about a 15-minute flight back to the airport the PIC decided to save the back-up battery and run off the main battery until a low voltage warning was received. The PIC made it back to the airport and was on final approach, when finally, a low voltage warning on the G3X was received. The PIC switched over to the back-up ignition battery and watched as the voltage dropped from 12.8VDC down to 0 and the engine shutoff. The back up battery was faulty and only lasted a minute or two. Even thou now on short final (maybe 300’ AGL) the PIC quickly learned that the sink rate without the engine running was so great that there was no way to make the runway. The options were to continue straight towards the runway and sink into the mature trees on the end of it or deviate off at about a 45-degree angle to my right and aim for a small opening in the trees. The PIC chose to go to the right, as the aircraft was maneuvering to the right aiming for the clearing the PIC could feel how mushy it was flying right at the edge of stall even with the nose pointed aggressively down. As the PIC snaked maneuvered a way around a few larger trees hearing the tops of the smaller trees slapping the landing gear as I aimed for the clearing. Just as the aircraft was about to make the clearing the right wing clipped one of the last trees on the edge of the clearing spinning the aircraft around in a nose down and belly first attitude into the tree next to it and came to a stop. The aircraft was hanging in the tree pointing straight down. The PIC and the passenger climbed out of the aircraft and jumped about 6 to ten feet to the ground unharmed and sustained no injuries.
Upon further examination, in the pics hangar, it was discovered that the alternator had a broken wire, causing the batteries to not charge to their full potential. This investigation is considered closed and no follow up is required.
As the FAA filed it
ON 09/07/2025 AT APPROXIMATELY 1020 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AN EXPERIMENTAL-HOMEBUILT CARBON CUB CCK-2000 AIRCRAFT, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY A PRIVATE PILOT (PIC) WITH ONE PASSENGER, RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT LANDED IN A TREE APPROXIMATELY HALF MILE SOUTH OF THOMPSONVILLE AIRPORT (7Y2). THE PIC DEPARTED THOMPSONVILLE AIRPORT AT APPROXIMATELY 0900 HEADING FOR SILVER LAKE MI. ABOUT 20 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT THE PIC NOTICED A FLICKER ON THE GARMIN G3X SCREEN BUT NEVER RECEIVED A VOLTAGE WARNING. THIS LED THE PIC TO LOOK AT THE ENGINE MONITORING SCREEN WHICH INDICATED THE AIRCRAFT’S ALTERNATOR WAS NOT CHARGING AND WAS SHOWING 12.8 VDC. THE PIC IMMEDIATELY STARTED A CLIMBING TURN BACK TO DEPARTING AIRPORT (7Y2). AFTER REACHING ABOUT 4000 FT. AND ENROUTE BACK, THE PIC TRIED SERVAL THINGS TO GET THE ALTERNATOR WORKING AGAIN INCLUDING CYCLING BOTH THE FIELD AND MAIN ALTERNATOR BREAKERS SEVERAL TIMES. THE PIC CHECKED THE VOLTAGE IN THE BACKUP IGNITION BATTERY WHICH READ 12.8 VDC, WHICH WAS GOOD. SINCE PIC HAD ABOUT A 15-MINUTE FLIGHT BACK TO THE AIRPORT THE PIC DECIDED TO SAVE THE BACK-UP BATTERY AND RUN OFF THE MAIN BATTERY UNTIL A LOW VOLTAGE WARNING WAS RECEIVED. THE PIC MADE IT BACK TO THE AIRPORT AND WAS ON FINAL APPROACH, WHEN FINALLY, A LOW VOLTAGE WARNING ON THE G3X WAS RECEIVED. THE PIC SWITCHED OVER TO THE BACK-UP IGNITION BATTERY AND WATCHED AS THE VOLTAGE DROPPED FROM 12.8VDC DOWN TO 0 AND THE ENGINE SHUTOFF. THE BACK UP BATTERY WAS FAULTY AND ONLY LASTED A MINUTE OR TWO. EVEN THOU NOW ON SHORT FINAL (MAYBE 300’ AGL) THE PIC QUICKLY LEARNED THAT THE SINK RATE WITHOUT THE ENGINE RUNNING WAS SO GREAT THAT THERE WAS NO WAY TO MAKE THE RUNWAY. THE OPTIONS WERE TO CONTINUE STRAIGHT TOWARDS THE RUNWAY AND SINK INTO THE MATURE TREES ON THE END OF IT OR DEVIATE OFF AT ABOUT A 45-DEGREE ANGLE TO MY RIGHT AND AIM FOR A SMALL OPENING IN THE TREES. THE PIC CHOSE TO GO TO THE RIGHT, AS THE AIRCRAFT WAS MANEUVERING TO THE RIGHT AIMING FOR THE CLEARING THE PIC COULD FEEL HOW MUSHY IT WAS FLYING RIGHT AT THE EDGE OF STALL EVEN WITH THE NOSE POINTED AGGRESSIVELY DOWN. AS THE PIC SNAKED MANEUVERED A WAY AROUND A FEW LARGER TREES HEARING THE TOPS OF THE SMALLER TREES SLAPPING THE LANDING GEAR AS I AIMED FOR THE CLEARING. JUST AS THE AIRCRAFT WAS ABOUT TO MAKE THE CLEARING THE RIGHT WING CLIPPED ONE OF THE LAST TREES ON THE EDGE OF THE CLEARING SPINNING THE AIRCRAFT AROUND IN A NOSE DOWN AND BELLY FIRST ATTITUDE INTO THE TREE NEXT TO IT AND CAME TO A STOP. THE AIRCRAFT WAS HANGING IN THE TREE POINTING STRAIGHT DOWN. THE PIC AND THE PASSENGER CLIMBED OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT AND JUMPED ABOUT 6 TO TEN FEET TO THE GROUND UNHARMED AND SUSTAINED NO INJURIES.
UPON FURTHER EXAMINATION, IN THE PICS HANGAR, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE ALTERNATOR HAD A BROKEN WIRE, CAUSING THE BATTERIES TO NOT CHARGE TO THEIR FULL POTENTIAL. THIS INVESTIGATION IS CONSIDERED CLOSED AND NO FOLLOW UP IS REQUIRED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.