Primary finding
Probable cause
The loss of airplane control while landing.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
Law enforcement received a report of an airplane crash at a private airstrip, and upon arrival, discovered a damaged airplane that had been moved off the airstrip. The accident pilot was not located at the accident site. Following the accident, a local law enforcement officer briefly talked to the reported pilot who denied operating the airplane. During a subsequent interview, the pilot stated that he had been operating the airplane earlier that day but reported the accident occurred while taxiing the airplane. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the forward fuselage and left wing. Postaccident examination of the accident site revealed the airplane’s landing gear contacted the ground short of the airstrip, and the airplane entered adjacent corn vegetation. Embedded corn stalks were found in the damaged outboard left wing. The pilot did not submit the National Transportation Safety Board form 6120.1, Pilot/OperatorAircraft Accident/Incident Report.