What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Lost power on climbout. Landed gear up on highway. Loose baffle and plug in muffler caused improper back pressure. (-23) on April 13, 1996 at 1830 gmt, a siai-marchetti S205-22R, piloted by owner arthur c. de vries, private pilot single engine land #474586482, made an off airport landing on Minnesota state highway 65 at 105th street in Blaine, Minnesota. The flight was VFR under VMC with a VFR flight plan filed with princeton fss. The flight originated at Anoka county airport (ane), n with a destination at mahnomen (6MN5), MN. Shortly after take-off to the north, the aircraft engine lost power but did not stop. Engine RPM was approximately 1800 to 2000 RPM as reported by the pilot. The aircraft reportedly would not climb so the pilot turned left to head south to return to the airport. Aircraft continued to lose altitude, pilot prepared aircraft for a foreced landing on the highway. Pilot elected to keep gear up and not use flaps so as to keep the aircraft as "clean" as possible. The most visible damage to the aircraft is as follows: right hand fuselage at step attachment point, right wing tip and pitot tube, left wing tip, propeller and fuselage b elly skin. Field investigation revealed full fuel tanks with aviation gasoline and fuel selector on left tank. Both tanks were checked for water, none indicated. Gascolator was checked for water, none indicated. Engine was inspected for discrepancies, it was noted that the right side exhaust tubes were loose at the point where they attached to the cylinders and the left side muffler had a baffle loose inside the housing. There was one (1) passenger onboard, no fire, no injuries. National weather service reports temp. 36 f. and dew point of 26 f. icing probability curves indicate visible to serious icing could be present with a float type carb.
As the FAA filed it
LOST POWER ON CLIMBOUT. LANDED GEAR UP ON HIGHWAY. LOOSE BAFFLE AND PLUG IN MUFFLER CAUSED IMPROPER BACK PRESSURE. (-23) ON APRIL 13, 1996 AT 1830 GMT, A SIAI-MARCHETTI S205-22R, PILOTED BY OWNER ARTHUR C. DE VRIES, PRIVATE PILOT SINGLE ENGINE LAND #474586482, MADE AN OFF AIRPORT LANDING ON MINNESOTA STATE HIGHWAY 65 AT 105TH STREET IN BLAINE, MINNESOTA. THE FLIGHT WAS VFR UNDER VMC WITH A VFR FLIGHT PLAN FILED WITH PRINCETON FSS. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT ANOKA COUNTY AIRPORT (ANE), N WITH A DESTINATION AT MAHNOMEN (6MN5), MN. SHORTLY AFTER TAKE-OFF TO THE NORTH, THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE LOST POWER BUT DID NOT STOP. ENGINE RPM WAS APPROXIMATELY 1800 TO 2000 RPM AS REPORTED BY THE PILOT. THE AIRCRAFT REPORTEDLY WOULD NOT CLIMB SO THE PILOT TURNED LEFT TO HEAD SOUTH TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT. AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO LOSE ALTITUDE, PILOT PREPARED AIRCRAFT FOR A FORECED LANDING ON THE HIGHWAY. PILOT ELECTED TO KEEP GEAR UP AND NOT USE FLAPS SO AS TO KEEP THE AIRCRAFT AS "CLEAN" AS POSSIBLE. THE MOST VISIBLE DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT IS AS FOLLOWS: RIGHT HAND FUSELAGE AT STEP ATTACHMENT POINT, RIGHT WING TIP AND PITOT TUBE, LEFT WING TIP, PROPELLER AND FUSELAGE B ELLY SKIN. FIELD INVESTIGATION REVEALED FULL FUEL TANKS WITH AVIATION GASOLINE AND FUEL SELECTOR ON LEFT TANK. BOTH TANKS WERE CHECKED FOR WATER, NONE INDICATED. GASCOLATOR WAS CHECKED FOR WATER, NONE INDICATED. ENGINE WAS INSPECTED FOR DISCREPANCIES, IT WAS NOTED THAT THE RIGHT SIDE EXHAUST TUBES WERE LOOSE AT THE POINT WHERE THEY ATTACHED TO THE CYLINDERS AND THE LEFT SIDE MUFFLER HAD A BAFFLE LOOSE INSIDE THE HOUSING. THERE WAS ONE (1) PASSENGER ONBOARD, NO FIRE, NO INJURIES. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE REPORTS TEMP. 36 F. AND DEW POINT OF 26 F. ICING PROBABILITY CURVES INDICATE VISIBLE TO SERIOUS ICING COULD BE PRESENT WITH A FLOAT TYPE CARB.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.