# Accident 19970618014619A: Amtr MUSTANG2, Portage, MI, June 18, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 18, 1997, 13:55 local time
- Place: Portage, MI
- Airport: Austin Lakes
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Forced Landing
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 42.2012° N, 85.5800° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Portage, MI, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.2012&lon=-85.5800&mi=10
- Aircraft: N11WJ, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N11WJ-1999-04-14) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Roe-Wayne MUSTANG II (registry code 05609R4, https://openairdocs.org/model/roe-wayne-mustang-ii) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AMTR MUSTANG2
- Reported engine: CONT IO360*
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 4,000 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI97LA171](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI97LA171) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970618014619A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

AIRCRAFT WAS ON APPROACH AND LANDED SHORT OF THE RUNWAY IN A CORN FIELD. (.4) THE EXPERIMENTAL AIRPLANE WAS ON ITS FIRST TEST FLIGHT. A WITNESS SAID HE SAW THE AIRPLANE ON A `...FLAT...' APPROACH TOWARD THE LANDING RUNWAY. HE SAID HE SAW THE WINGS BANKING LEFT AND RIGHT SHORTLY BEFORE THE AIRPLANE PITCHED DOWN AND COLLIDED WITH TREES. A SECOND WITNESS SAID HE SAW THE AIRPLANE SETTLING `...FASTER THAN [IT] SHOULD.' THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED NO ANOMALIES WITH THE FLIGHT CONTROL SYSTEM, ENGINE OR IGNITION SYSTEM THAT WOULD PREVENT FLIGHT. FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE FUSELAGE FUEL TANK. NO FUEL WAS OBSERVED IN THE UNDAMAGED ENGINE-DRIVEN OR ELECTRIC FUEL PUMPS OR IN THE FUEL LINE BETWEEN THE FUEL SERVO AND FLOW DIVIDER. THE FUSELAGE FUEL TANK VENT WAS MOUNTED ON THE BOTTOM OF THE FUSELAGE WITH ITS ANGLED END FACING AFT. THE FUEL SERVO WAS BENCH FLOW CHECKED AND IT MET THE MANUFACTURER'S FLOW SPECIFICATIONS. THE ENGINE-DRIVEN AND ELECTRIC FUEL PUMPS WERE HOOKED UP IN-LINE BETWEEN THE FUEL STRAINER AND ENGINE.                                  (-23) 1ST FLIGHT OF AMATUER BUILT AIRCRAFT.  FLIGHT APPEARED NORMAL UNTIL TURN FROM BASE TO FINAL.  PATTERN WAS FLOWN LOW, CHASE AIRCRAFT OBSERVED LEF  T WING DROP AND AIRCRAFT IMPACTED TREES APPROX 1/8 MILE FROM END OF RUNWAY. TREE DAMAGE INDICATES ENGINE PROBABLY WAS DEVELOPING SOME POWER AS AIRCRAFT STRUCK TREES.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB CHI97LA171](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI97LA171), Jun 18, 1997: Roe-Wayne Mustang II (N11WJ), Portage, MI, destroyed. Probable cause: inadequate fuel system design by the owner/builder, which led to fuel starvation as the airplane was on a 'flat' approach to land. The pilot's inadequate flight planning was a factor, in that he did…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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