19960802020699A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Beech 77 · Plato Center, IL · August 2, 1996

Date: August 2, 1996 · 16:30 local
Place: Plato Center, IL
Airport: Olson Airport
Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N18259
NTSB investigation: NTSBCHI96LA273
Reported as: Beech 77
Reported engine: Lycoming O235L2C
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 105 total55 in this make and model15 in the last 90 days

N18259Registration cancelled Nov 17, 1998 · Beech 77S/N WA300 Airframe modelBeech 77

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.

Lost partial power. Landed in a field. Struck a ditch. Nosed over. No engine anomalies. Found water in carb bowl. (-23) student pilot departed Olson field, Plato Center, IL on a day VFR flight. Engine would not maintain power above 1500 RPM after 45 minutes of local flight. Aircraft headed for airport, however the continuing loss of altitude resulted in a forced landing in a soybean field, at a rapid rate of forward speed. The aircraft bounced, landed again, the nose gear dug in and flipped the aircraft to the inverted position. Aircraft received substantial damage. No fire, no injuries.

As the FAA filed it

LOST PARTIAL POWER. LANDED IN A FIELD. STRUCK A DITCH. NOSED OVER. NO ENGINE ANOMALIES. FOUND WATER IN CARB BOWL. (-23) STUDENT PILOT DEPARTED OLSON FIELD, PLATO CENTER, IL ON A DAY VFR FLIGHT. ENGINE WOULD NOT MAINTAIN POWER ABOVE 1500 RPM AFTER 45 MINUTES OF LOCAL FLIGHT. AIRCRAFT HEADED FOR AIRPORT, HOWEVER THE CONTINUING LOSS OF ALTITUDE RESULTED IN A FORCED LANDING IN A SOYBEAN FIELD, AT A RAPID RATE OF FORWARD SPEED. THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED, LANDED AGAIN, THE NOSE GEAR DUG IN AND FLIPPED THE AIRCRAFT TO THE INVERTED POSITION. AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. NO FIRE, NO INJURIES.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CHI96LA273Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportSouth Elgin, ILwater contamination in the carburetor.Aug 2, 1996 · Substantial damage