What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Lost power en route. Force landed in plowed field cross furrows. Nosed over(-23) on February 24, 1996, at approximately 1015 am EST, a Piper (PA22-150), N6939B, departed the fulton county airport (rcr) in rochester, IN., enroute to the mishawaka pilot's club airfield (3CI) in elkhart, IN. After reaching his cruise altitude of 2500 feet the PIC switched from the right tank to the left tank. Approximately 5 to 7 minutes later the PIC reported his engine lost power. He switched back to the right tank but got no response, reselected left tank but still could only get what appeared to be idle RPM. The PIC selected left, right, and back to both on the magneto position switch, while the passenger (mike verse, a CFI) pumped the primer, reselected the mixture setting, and pumped the throttle, but the engine did not regain power or increase RPM above idle. The PIC then attempted to execute an emergency landing in a corn field. The aircraft, which was flying due north, turned due south when it experienced the engine problem in an attempt to land in a hay field. As the aircraft lost altitude the PIC realized they did not have sufficient altitude to make it to the hay field, so he selected a plpwed field as the landing point. As he made the approach to the plowed field the PIC noticed the field had furrows in an east to west direction but was unable to realign the aircraft flight path to match the furrows and landed in a southeasterly direction. As the aircraft touched down, the right main landing gear touched down first, then the left gear touched down. The PA22 continued diagonally across the furrows for approximately 50 feet where finally the propeller stuck in the soft earth abruptly stopping forward motion causing the aircraft to flip over on its back. The main gear, tires and propeller were covered in mud but the tail wheel had no evidence of ever touching the ground. Both occupants exited the aircraft without further incident.
As the FAA filed it
LOST POWER EN ROUTE. FORCE LANDED IN PLOWED FIELD CROSS FURROWS. NOSED OVER(-23) ON FEBRUARY 24, 1996, AT APPROXIMATELY 1015 AM EST, A PIPER (PA22-150), N6939B, DEPARTED THE FULTON COUNTY AIRPORT (RCR) IN ROCHESTER, IN., ENROUTE TO THE MISHAWAKA PILOT'S CLUB AIRFIELD (3CI) IN ELKHART, IN. AFTER REACHING HIS CRUISE ALTITUDE OF 2500 FEET THE PIC SWITCHED FROM THE RIGHT TANK TO THE LEFT TANK. APPROXIMATELY 5 TO 7 MINUTES LATER THE PIC REPORTED HIS ENGINE LOST POWER. HE SWITCHED BACK TO THE RIGHT TANK BUT GOT NO RESPONSE, RESELECTED LEFT TANK BUT STILL COULD ONLY GET WHAT APPEARED TO BE IDLE RPM. THE PIC SELECTED LEFT, RIGHT, AND BACK TO BOTH ON THE MAGNETO POSITION SWITCH, WHILE THE PASSENGER (MIKE VERSE, A CFI) PUMPED THE PRIMER, RESELECTED THE MIXTURE SETTING, AND PUMPED THE THROTTLE, BUT THE ENGINE DID NOT REGAIN POWER OR INCREASE RPM ABOVE IDLE. THE PIC THEN ATTEMPTED TO EXECUTE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A CORN FIELD. THE AIRCRAFT, WHICH WAS FLYING DUE NORTH, TURNED DUE SOUTH WHEN IT EXPERIENCED THE ENGINE PROBLEM IN AN ATTEMPT TO LAND IN A HAY FIELD. AS THE AIRCRAFT LOST ALTITUDE THE PIC REALIZED THEY DID NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT ALTITUDE TO MAKE IT TO THE HAY FIELD, SO HE SELECTED A PLPWED FIELD AS THE LANDING POINT. AS HE MADE THE APPROACH TO THE PLOWED FIELD THE PIC NOTICED THE FIELD HAD FURROWS IN AN EAST TO WEST DIRECTION BUT WAS UNABLE TO REALIGN THE AIRCRAFT FLIGHT PATH TO MATCH THE FURROWS AND LANDED IN A SOUTHEASTERLY DIRECTION. AS THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN, THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR TOUCHED DOWN FIRST, THEN THE LEFT GEAR TOUCHED DOWN. THE PA22 CONTINUED DIAGONALLY ACROSS THE FURROWS FOR APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET WHERE FINALLY THE PROPELLER STUCK IN THE SOFT EARTH ABRUPTLY STOPPING FORWARD MOTION CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO FLIP OVER ON ITS BACK. THE MAIN GEAR, TIRES AND PROPELLER WERE COVERED IN MUD BUT THE TAIL WHEEL HAD NO EVIDENCE OF EVER TOUCHING THE GROUND. BOTH OCCUPANTS EXITED THE AIRCRAFT WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N6939B · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.