What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft crashed into a wooded area after withnesses said it appeared to lose power, battle creek, MI (.19) on June 13, 1998, at 1650 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-23-250, N4617P, operated by a student pilot, sustained substantial damage from impact with trees, the terrain, and a post impact fire, during a forced landing 12 miles north of Albion, Michigan. The pilot received minor injuries, while his passenger sustained serious injuries. The pilot said that the right engine suffered a loss of power, and he was attempting a forced landing in a field when the airplane impacted tree tops. The personal 14 CFR part 91 flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan was on file. The local flight departed marshall, Michigan, about 1640. (.4)the twin engine airplane suffered a loss of right engine power in cruise flight about 10 minutes after takeoff.. The pilot, who held a student pilot certificate, said he was unable to maintain flight and a forced landing was initiated. On approach, the airplane impacted trees, departed controlled flight and impacted the terrain. A post accident fire ignited. The pilot told an FAA inspector that the loss of power was due to fuel exhaustion. An inspection of the airplane revealed that there was only unusable fuel remaining in the right wing. It was also found that the right engine propeller was not feathered. (-23) on June 13, 1998, at 1650 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-23-250, N4617P, operated by a student pilot, sustained substantial damage from impact with trees, the terrain, and a post impact fire, during a forced landing 12 miles north of Albion, Michigan. The pilot received minor injuries, while his passenger sustained serious injuries. The pilot said that the right engine suffered a loss of power, and he was attempting a forced landing in a field when the airplane impacted tree tops. The personal 14 CFR part 91 flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan was on file. The local flight departed marshall, Michigan, about 1640.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT CRASHED INTO A WOODED AREA AFTER WITHNESSES SAID IT APPEARED TO LOSE POWER, BATTLE CREEK, MI (.19) ON JUNE 13, 1998, AT 1650 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-23-250, N4617P, OPERATED BY A STUDENT PILOT, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE FROM IMPACT WITH TREES, THE TERRAIN, AND A POST IMPACT FIRE, DURING A FORCED LANDING 12 MILES NORTH OF ALBION, MICHIGAN. THE PILOT RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES, WHILE HIS PASSENGER SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE PILOT SAID THAT THE RIGHT ENGINE SUFFERED A LOSS OF POWER, AND HE WAS ATTEMPTING A FORCED LANDING IN A FIELD WHEN THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED TREE TOPS. THE PERSONAL 14 CFR PART 91 FLIGHT WAS OPERATING IN VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS ON FILE. THE LOCAL FLIGHT DEPARTED MARSHALL, MICHIGAN, ABOUT 1640. (.4)THE TWIN ENGINE AIRPLANE SUFFERED A LOSS OF RIGHT ENGINE POWER IN CRUISE FLIGHT ABOUT 10 MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF.. THE PILOT, WHO HELD A STUDENT PILOT CERTIFICATE, SAID HE WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN FLIGHT AND A FORCED LANDING WAS INITIATED. ON APPROACH, THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED TREES, DEPARTED CONTROLLED FLIGHT AND IMPACTED THE TERRAIN. A POST ACCIDENT FIRE IGNITED. THE PILOT TOLD AN FAA INSPECTOR THAT THE LOSS OF POWER WAS DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. AN INSPECTION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THAT THERE WAS ONLY UNUSABLE FUEL REMAINING IN THE RIGHT WING. IT WAS ALSO FOUND THAT THE RIGHT ENGINE PROPELLER WAS NOT FEATHERED. (-23) ON JUNE 13, 1998, AT 1650 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-23-250, N4617P, OPERATED BY A STUDENT PILOT, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE FROM IMPACT WITH TREES, THE TERRAIN, AND A POST IMPACT FIRE, DURING A FORCED LANDING 12 MILES NORTH OF ALBION, MICHIGAN. THE PILOT RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES, WHILE HIS PASSENGER SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE PILOT SAID THAT THE RIGHT ENGINE SUFFERED A LOSS OF POWER, AND HE WAS ATTEMPTING A FORCED LANDING IN A FIELD WHEN THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED TREE TOPS. THE PERSONAL 14 CFR PART 91 FLIGHT WAS OPERATING IN VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS ON FILE. THE LOCAL FLIGHT DEPARTED MARSHALL, MICHIGAN, ABOUT 1640.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.