The pilot of small plane that made a “hard” landing in a cornfield near Cleveland last month says the plane lost power just after take-off from the Cleveland airport, according to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
The accident occurred June 26 around 10:45 a.m. The pilot and a passenger suffered minor injuries.
According to the NTSB, the pilot said the outing was the plane’s first flight since completing an annual inspection on May 11. During the initial climb, just above the treetops, the aircraft’s “climb performance degraded and the airplane could not gain altitude,” and the pilot believed the engine was not producing full power.
He attempted a slow right turn to return to the airport but realized he did not have enough altitude to clear obstacles. He then made a forced landing in the field. The aircraft “struck corn and uneven ground, resulting in a hard landing, collapse of the main landing gear, and a nose‑over that left the airplane inverted,” the report says.
An FAA inspector who examined the wreckage reported substantial damage to the wings, vertical stabilizer and rudder.
A final report on the incident may not be ready until sometime next year, at the earliest.
EARLIER STORY. POSTED JUNE 27: Two injured in White Co. plane crash