20260814011249A

ON AUGUST 14, 2026, AT 1945 LOCAL TIME, A TAYLORCRAFT DCO-65 AIRCRAFT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, REGISTERED TO AND FLOWN BY AN AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE FOLLOWING A LOSS OF CONTROL AND SUBSEQUENT IMPACT WITH TERRAIN DURING DEPARTURE FROM A PRIVATE GRASS RUNWAY 5 MILES WEST OF CALUMET, MICHIGAN. WEATHER WAS VFR 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. THE PILOT RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES WHILE THE PILOT RATED PASSENGER RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES.

ACCORDING TO THE PASSENGER, HE AND THE PILOT HAD LANDED AT THIS AIRSTRIP 2 HOURS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT TO ATTEND A GET-TOGETHER WITH OTHER LOCAL PILOTS. THIS WAS THE PILOT’S FIRST TIME LANDING AT THE AIRFIELD. PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT MOST OF THE OTHER AIRCRAFT DEPARTED TO THE WEST EXCEPT FOR A PIPER J-3 THAT SUCCESSFULLY DEPARTED TO THE EAST. THE ACCIDENT PILOT ELECTED TO DEPART TO THE EAST, DID AN ENGINE RUN-UP THEN STARTED THE TAKEOFF ROLL. THE AIRPLANE BECAME AIRBORNE ABOUT MID-FIELD BUT REMAINED IN GROUND EFFECT. THE PASSENGER STATES THE AIRCRAFT WAS PRODUCING FULL POWER BUT WOULD NOT CLIMB OUT. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED MAKING AN S-TURN IN AN ATTEMPT TO GAIN AIR SPEED WITHOUT SUCCESS. WITH THE TREES AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY APPROACHING, THE PILOT ELECTED TO PULL POWER AND ATTEMPTED TO LAND. WITH THE SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER AND THE LOW AIR SPEED, THE AIRCRAFT IMMEDIATELY ENTERED AN AERODYNAMIC STALL AND IMPACTED THE RUNWAY SURFACE IN A NOSE LOW ATTITUDE. THE AIRCRAFT MADE A 180-DEGREE ROTATION AND CAME TO REST JUST PRIOR TO THE TREES. NEITHER THE PILOT NOR PASSENGER WE ABLE TO EGRESS FROM THE AIRCRAFT BUT WERE ASSISTED BY A WITNESS WHO ALSO CALLED FIRE AND EMS. THE PILOT WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL BY AMBULANCE WITH SERIOUS LOWER EXTREMITY INJURIES.

INVESTIGATION FOUND THE AIRCRAFT RESTING ON THE EAST END OF THE 1800 FOOT ROUGH GRASS RUNWAY ON A MAGNETIC HEADING OF 290 DEGREES, APPROXIMATELY 30 FEET FROM THE TREE LINE. THE ENGINE AND COWL HAD EXTENSIVE AFT AND UPWARD CRUSH DAMAGE FROM GROUND IMPACT. THE PROPELLER REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE ENGINE WITH REARWARD BENDING OF BOTH BLADES, INDICATIVE OF LOW POWER AT THE TIME OF IMPACT. THE FUEL LINE FROM THE SUMP TO THE CARBURETOR WAS BROKEN FREE AT THE CARB AND THE STRONG SMELL OF 100LL FUEL WAS DETECTED. BOTH MAIN LANDING GEAR WERE COLLAPSED BUT REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE FUSELAGE. THE WINDSHIELD WAS BROKEN AND REMOVED DURING THE EXTRACTION OF THE PILOT. THE LEFT WING AND STRUT SHOWED LEADING EDGE IMPACT DAMAGE. THE AFT SECTION FOR THE FUSELAGE AND RIGHT WING SHOWED ONLY MINOR DAMAGE. CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED TO ALL FLIGHT AND ENGINE CONTROLS. THE ELT DID DEPLOY DURING THE IMPACT. THERE WAS NO POST-CRASH FIRE.

ADDITIONALLY, THE PRIVATELY OWNED RUNWAY, CONSIDERED BY THE OWNER TO BE A “BUSH STRIP”, IS 1800 FEET LONG AND 75 FEET WIDE SURROUNDED ON BOTH SIDES AND THE EAST END BY 75-TO-100-FOOT TREES. IT HAS A ROUGH GRASS AND SAND SURFACE WITH A 2.5-DEGREE INCLINE GOING TO THE EAST. THE OWNER ALSO STATES THAT HE ONLY DEPARTS DOWNHILL TO THE WEST WITH HIS AIRCRAFT AND WAS UNSURE WHY THE PILOT ELECTED TO DEPART TO THE EAST.

BOTH THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WEIGH OVER 200 POUNDS EACH AND ACCORDING TO THE PASSENGER THE AIRCRAFT WAS FULL OF FUEL (LESS THE AMOUNT USED IN THE 15-MINUTE TRIP TO THE AIRSTRIP).

METAR KCMX 141953Z AUTO 10009KT 10SM SCT042 23/12 A3020