Aviation Accident Final Report - National Transportation Safety Board: http://app.ntsb.gov/pdf
Docket And Docket Items - National Transportation Safety Board: http://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms
Aviation Accident Data Summary - National Transportation Safety Board: http://app.ntsb.gov/pdf
http://registry.faa.gov/N236SC
FAA Flight Standards District Office: FAA Minneapolis FSDO-15
NTSB Identification: CEN16LA242
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, July 01, 2016 in Wyoming, MN
Probable Cause Approval Date: 12/12/2016
Aircraft: CZECH AIRCRAFT WORKS SPOL SRO SPORTCRUISER, registration: N236SC
Injuries: 1 Minor.
NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
The sport pilot was conducting a personal local flight at night. The pilot reported that he was unable to locate the destination airport because it was dark. The airplane was low on fuel, so he decided to land the airplane on an interstate highway. During the landing roll, the airplane’s right wing hit a wire road divider post, which resulted in substantial damage to the airplane. The pilot stated that the airplane did not have any mechanical failures during the flight. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
The pilot’s inadequate flight planning and navigation for a flight at night, which resulted in his having to conduct a precautionary landing on an interstate highway due to low fuel and impacting the post of a wire road divider.
**This report was modified on August 16, 2016. Please see the docket for this accident to view the original report.**
On July 1, 2016, about 2206 central daylight time, a Czech Aircraft Works Sportcruiser, N236SC, sustained substantial damage during an off airport landing on Interstate Highway 35 (I-35) near Wyoming, Minnesota. The sport pilot, the sole occupant, received minor injuries. The airplane was owned and operated by the pilot under the provisions of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the flight, which was not on a flight plan. The flight departed the Cambridge Municipal Airport (CBG), Cambridge, Minnesota, about 2000 on a local flight.
The pilot stated to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector that he could not find CBG because it was dark. The airplane was low on fuel and he could not see an airport beacon, so he landed the airplane on a road, which turned out to be I-35. During the landing roll, he attempted to maneuver the airplane into the ditch between the northbound and southbound lanes of the highway to avoid the traffic on the highway. The airplane's right wing hit the post of a wire road divider causing substantial damage to the airplane. The pilot stated that the airplane did not have any mechanical failures while airborne.
A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
NTSB Identification: CEN16LA242
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, July 01, 2016 in Wyoming, MN
Aircraft: CZECH AIRCRAFT WORKS SPOL SRO SPORTCRUISER, registration: N236SC
Injuries: 1 Minor.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
On July 1, 2016, about 2206 central daylight time, a Czech Aircraft Works Sportcruiser, N236SC, sustained substantial damage during an off airport landing on Interstate Highway 35 (I-35) near Wyoming, Minnesota. The sport pilot, the sole occupant, received minor injuries. The airplane was owned and operated by the pilot under the provisions of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the flight, which was not on a flight plan. The flight departed the Starbuck Municipal Airport (D32), Starbuck, Minnesota, sometime between 2000 and 2100 and was en route to the Cambridge Municipal Airport (CBG), Cambridge, Minnesota.
The pilot stated to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector that he could not find CBG because it was dark. The airplane was low on fuel and he could not see an airport beacon, so he landed the airplane on a road, which turned out to be I-35. During the landing roll, he attempted to maneuver the airplane into the ditch between the northbound and southbound lanes of the highway to avoid the traffic on the highway. The airplane's right wing hit the post of a wire road divider causing substantial damage to the airplane. The pilot stated that the airplane did not have any mechanical failures while airborne.
A 79-year old pilot says he was lost and running out of fuel when he crash landed his small plane on Interstate 35 late Friday night.
Leonard Nolden, who declined an on-camera interview, told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS over the phone Saturday that he flew to Starbuck Friday night for a fly in, a social gathering for pilots. Starbuck is roughly 130 miles from where Nolden lives in Isanti.
Nolden said his GPS was not working but thought he could make it back home using maps. He lost his bearings and was forced to land on the southbound side of I-35 when his fuel supply started running low.
The interstate was shut down from from Wyoming to Stacy; the northbound lane was closed for an hour and the southbound lane for two hours.
Nolden said his plan was to land on the roadway, which had been cleared of traffic, according to witnesses, and then veer into the grass median, but he failed to account for the cable barriers.
"(The plane) landed at the bottom of the exit ramp, so he was somewhat under control, he lost a wheel and then he bounced once or twice," said Adam Gothmann who witnessed the landing.
"(The pilot) was out of that airplane, literally, within 60 seconds of it hitting the ground," Gothmann said.
The light sport aircraft, which can only hold two people and can travel about 100 mph, ended up nose down in the median and was towed away.
A pilot with more than 50 years of flying experience says a road is the best option, other than an open field, for an emergency landing.
"A highway is good, except a lot of highways have overpasses, wires, you just have to be careful," Gary Lysiak said. "I would land on a road if I had to."
Lysiak said pilots are also trained to carry 45 minutes worth of extra fuel and should know where the nearest airports are when charting their flight path.
"It's not like a car where you're at quarter tank of gas and you say 'oh, I'll pull over at the next exit.' Up in the air, there's no next exit," Lysiak said, adding that the pilot did a good job of avoiding a more serious crash.
"(The pilot) probably did a very good job of not hitting a car, and he did what he had to get out of the way, Lysiak said. "Hats off to him, he did alright."
The FAA, Minnesota State Patrol and local authorities have not commented on the accident investigation.
Story and video: http://kstp.com
Story and video: http://kstp.com
A preliminary investigation showed that the pilot sustained minor injuries but was OK, police confirmed. There did not appear to be any other injuries.
It was not known whether the plane crashed or made an emergency landing, according to a spokesman for the Minnesota State Patrol. Some fuel was leaking onto the road before the aircraft was removed around midnight.
The plane came down on the freeway near County Road 22 just after 10 p.m. All lanes in both directions of the interstate, which was especially busy Friday with holiday weekend travelers, were closed to traffic as police waited for officials with the Federal Aviation Administration to arrive.
Wyoming police initially notified motorists to avoid I-35 between the city and Stacy. One lane of northbound traffic reopened at 11:45 p.m., but all lanes were later opened.
Public records show the plane was registered in 2007 to an Isanti man, now 79 years old.
Original article can found here: http://www.startribune.com
CHISAGO COUNTY, Minn. (KMSP) - A small plane crashed on southbound 35 near Wyoming, Minnesota, according to State Patrol officials.
Emergency crews responded to the crash at about 10:06 p.m. on Friday at I-35 and Viking Blvd.
State Patrol is investigating the emergency landing. The pilot received minor injuries.
Both northbound and southbound between Wyoming and Stacy were closed for a couple hours during the evening. The lanes are now both open,
FAA is involved in the investigation.
PIC flew beyond his destination.
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