What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 11/02/2025, a student pilot and instructor were flying a just aircraft highlander JA501-12-16 bush plane with a registration number of privacy data omitted. The student pilot had recently purchased this plane and was getting flight training from a certified flight instructor (CFI) in his new aircraft. Both pilots departed from the Delta Blake Field Airport (kajz) at approximately 14:30(l). The purpose of the flight was an introduction to tail wheel flying for the student pilot. The instructor performed the takeoff under VFR and calm wind conditions. The instructor climbed the aircraft to a safe altitude to perform flight maneuvers. At altitude, the student performed dutch rolls, side slips, steep turns, slow flight, and other basic maneuvers to get accustomed to flying the airplane. After an hour of flight maneuvers, the student and instructor returned to the airport with the intention of introducing tail wheel landings in the aircraft. As the aircraft proceeded to the airport the airplane began experiencing some engine roughness. The instructor took the aircraft controls and proceeded directly to the airport but shortly decided to divert toward west winds airport (D17) as this airport was within eyesight. The instructor stated that all engine instruments were within normal operating ranges, but the airplane appeared to have partial power. A few moments later the propeller stopped but both pilots noted that the engine continued to run with all normal engine indications. Both pilots noticed fluid running along the left side of the engine cowling and lower half of the left window. The instructor realized the airplane was unable to glide to west winds airport. The instructor surveyed the surrounding area for a suitable landing area, but the ground was rocky, uneven and had many small gullies. The instructor slowed the aircraft for landing and engaged full flaps while flaring to reduce impact. The airplane’s wheels struck the top edge of a gully and dropped into the approximate 15-foot gully hitting the opposite wall of the gully. The airplane came to rest upside down against the gully wall. Both pilots sustained injuries but were able to extricate themselves from the airplane with the help of the local privacy data omittedwho showed up on scene. Paramedics arrived a short time later and transported both pilots to the emergency room for medical treatment.
As the FAA filed it
ON 11/02/2025, A STUDENT PILOT AND INSTRUCTOR WERE FLYING A JUST AIRCRAFT HIGHLANDER JA501-12-16 BUSH PLANE WITH A REGISTRATION NUMBER OF ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE STUDENT PILOT HAD RECENTLY PURCHASED THIS PLANE AND WAS GETTING FLIGHT TRAINING FROM A CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI) IN HIS NEW AIRCRAFT. BOTH PILOTS DEPARTED FROM THE DELTA BLAKE FIELD AIRPORT (KAJZ) AT APPROXIMATELY 14:30(L). THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS AN INTRODUCTION TO TAIL WHEEL FLYING FOR THE STUDENT PILOT. THE INSTRUCTOR PERFORMED THE TAKEOFF UNDER VFR AND CALM WIND CONDITIONS. THE INSTRUCTOR CLIMBED THE AIRCRAFT TO A SAFE ALTITUDE TO PERFORM FLIGHT MANEUVERS. AT ALTITUDE, THE STUDENT PERFORMED DUTCH ROLLS, SIDE SLIPS, STEEP TURNS, SLOW FLIGHT, AND OTHER BASIC MANEUVERS TO GET ACCUSTOMED TO FLYING THE AIRPLANE. AFTER AN HOUR OF FLIGHT MANEUVERS, THE STUDENT AND INSTRUCTOR RETURNED TO THE AIRPORT WITH THE INTENTION OF INTRODUCING TAIL WHEEL LANDINGS IN THE AIRCRAFT. AS THE AIRCRAFT PROCEEDED TO THE AIRPORT THE AIRPLANE BEGAN EXPERIENCING SOME ENGINE ROUGHNESS. THE INSTRUCTOR TOOK THE AIRCRAFT CONTROLS AND PROCEEDED DIRECTLY TO THE AIRPORT BUT SHORTLY DECIDED TO DIVERT TOWARD WEST WINDS AIRPORT (D17) AS THIS AIRPORT WAS WITHIN EYESIGHT. THE INSTRUCTOR STATED THAT ALL ENGINE INSTRUMENTS WERE WITHIN NORMAL OPERATING RANGES, BUT THE AIRPLANE APPEARED TO HAVE PARTIAL POWER. A FEW MOMENTS LATER THE PROPELLER STOPPED BUT BOTH PILOTS NOTED THAT THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN WITH ALL NORMAL ENGINE INDICATIONS. BOTH PILOTS NOTICED FLUID RUNNING ALONG THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ENGINE COWLING AND LOWER HALF OF THE LEFT WINDOW. THE INSTRUCTOR REALIZED THE AIRPLANE WAS UNABLE TO GLIDE TO WEST WINDS AIRPORT. THE INSTRUCTOR SURVEYED THE SURROUNDING AREA FOR A SUITABLE LANDING AREA, BUT THE GROUND WAS ROCKY, UNEVEN AND HAD MANY SMALL GULLIES. THE INSTRUCTOR SLOWED THE AIRCRAFT FOR LANDING AND ENGAGED FULL FLAPS WHILE FLARING TO REDUCE IMPACT. THE AIRPLANE’S WHEELS STRUCK THE TOP EDGE OF A GULLY AND DROPPED INTO THE APPROXIMATE 15-FOOT GULLY HITTING THE OPPOSITE WALL OF THE GULLY. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST UPSIDE DOWN AGAINST THE GULLY WALL. BOTH PILOTS SUSTAINED INJURIES BUT WERE ABLE TO EXTRICATE THEMSELVES FROM THE AIRPLANE WITH THE HELP OF THE LOCAL ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^WHO SHOWED UP ON SCENE. PARAMEDICS ARRIVED A SHORT TIME LATER AND TRANSPORTED BOTH PILOTS TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM FOR MEDICAL TREATMENT.
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 N622SC · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.