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Incident

FAA incident report · Cessna 185D · Des Moines, IA · July 21, 1994

Date: July 21, 1994 · 15:20 local
Place: Des Moines, IA
Airport: Des Moines International
Phase of flight: Initial Approach-IFR
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Aircraft: N5899T
Reported as: Cessna 185D
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 7,000 total5,000 in this make and model60 in the last 90 days

N5899TRegistered now · Cessna 185DS/N 1850799 · Built 1965 Airframe modelCessna 185D Engine modelContinental IO-520 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Narrative: aircraft was on an IFR flight plan from huntington, WV (hts) to Des Moines, IA (dsm). Approximately 7 miles southeast of Des Moines airport, the engine began to run rough. The pilot made a precautionary landing in a field. Witnesses observed the engine still running after landing. Fuel was added to the aircraft and it departed the field. Pilot thinks he may have been flying wing low causing the fuel to cavitate the fuel port thus causing fuel starvation. This incident is considered closed with this report.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: AIRCRAFT WAS ON AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN FROM HUNTINGTON, WV (HTS) TO DES MOINES, IA (DSM). APPROXIMATELY 7 MILES SOUTHEAST OF DES MOINES AIRPORT, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH. THE PILOT MADE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING IN A FIELD. WITNESSES OBSERVED THE ENGINE STILL RUNNING AFTER LANDING. FUEL WAS ADDED TO THE AIRCRAFT AND IT DEPARTED THE FIELD. PILOT THINKS HE MAY HAVE BEEN FLYING WING LOW CAUSING THE FUEL TO CAVITATE THE FUEL PORT THUS CAUSING FUEL STARVATION. THIS INCIDENT IS CONSIDERED CLOSED WITH THIS REPORT.