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19960201004069I

Incident
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FAA incident report · Beech C23 · Wakarusa, IN · February 1, 1996

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
February 1, 1996 · 17:30 local
Place
Wakarusa, IN
Phase of flight
Practice Training Manuevers
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Aircraft
N2149W
Reported as
Beech C23
Reported engine
Lycoming O360A4J
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
2,100 total600 in this make and model120 in the last 90 days
N2149WRegistration cancelled Feb 19, 2008 · Beech C23S/N M-1532 · Built 1974Airframe modelBeech C23Engine modelLycoming O&VO-360 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: Mr. David a. caum, PIC of N2149W, a Beech 23-C23, engaged in flight instruction, began stall and slow flight practice at 2800' MSL. During entry into slow flight, power was reduced to 1700 RPM. The aircraft slowed and began a shallow descent, the PIC instructed the student to increase power but the engine did not respond. The engine remained at 1700 RPM despite exercising the throttle lever. The PIC pulled the throttle through idle to full power position which resulted in a decrease of engine RPM to 1300 RPM. The PIC and student proceeded with the partial power checklist as per the p.o.h. the engine RPM stabilized at 1300. Unable to regain engine power the flight crew turned the aircraft to the north towards elkhart/mishawaka area, as they followed the items on the checklist for a forced landing, looking for an open area. The PIC configured the aircraft for a forced landing, then executed a successful landing in a harvested corn field. The landing was smooth and uneventful, with no damage to the aircraft or property, and no injuries to the crew. Maintenance personnel troubleshooting the discrepancy found the throttle cable frozen. Temperature at time of incident was a minus 15 degrees fahrenheit with a wind chill of minus 40 degrees fahrenheit. The maintenance crew tried to thaw the cable without success. The throttle cable assembly was replaced, the system checked for proper operation and the aircraft approved for return to service.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: MR. DAVID A. CAUM, PIC OF N2149W, A BEECH 23-C23, ENGAGED IN FLIGHT INSTRUCTION, BEGAN STALL AND SLOW FLIGHT PRACTICE AT 2800' MSL. DURING ENTRY INTO SLOW FLIGHT, POWER WAS REDUCED TO 1700 RPM. THE AIRCRAFT SLOWED AND BEGAN A SHALLOW DESCENT, THE PIC INSTRUCTED THE STUDENT TO INCREASE POWER BUT THE ENGINE DID NOT RESPOND. THE ENGINE REMAINED AT 1700 RPM DESPITE EXERCISING THE THROTTLE LEVER. THE PIC PULLED THE THROTTLE THROUGH IDLE TO FULL POWER POSITION WHICH RESULTED IN A DECREASE OF ENGINE RPM TO 1300 RPM. THE PIC AND STUDENT PROCEEDED WITH THE PARTIAL POWER CHECKLIST AS PER THE P.O.H. THE ENGINE RPM STABILIZED AT 1300. UNABLE TO REGAIN ENGINE POWER THE FLIGHT CREW TURNED THE AIRCRAFT TO THE NORTH TOWARDS ELKHART/MISHAWAKA AREA, AS THEY FOLLOWED THE ITEMS ON THE CHECKLIST FOR A FORCED LANDING, LOOKING FOR AN OPEN AREA. THE PIC CONFIGURED THE AIRCRAFT FOR A FORCED LANDING, THEN EXECUTED A SUCCESSFUL LANDING IN A HARVESTED CORN FIELD. THE LANDING WAS SMOOTH AND UNEVENTFUL, WITH NO DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT OR PROPERTY, AND NO INJURIES TO THE CREW. MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL TROUBLESHOOTING THE DISCREPANCY FOUND THE THROTTLE CABLE FROZEN. TEMPERATURE AT TIME OF INCIDENT WAS A MINUS 15 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT WITH A WIND CHILL OF MINUS 40 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. THE MAINTENANCE CREW TRIED TO THAW THE CABLE WITHOUT SUCCESS. THE THROTTLE CABLE ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED, THE SYSTEM CHECKED FOR PROPER OPERATION AND THE AIRCRAFT APPROVED FOR RETURN TO SERVICE.