What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Lost power enroute. Overshot field landing. Hit fence and roadway. Possible fuel exhaustion. (-23) while at 1500 feet, approx. 4 miles from the Louisa county airport (lku), which was the next scheduled stop, the engine RPM dropped from 5800 to 3000 RPM. The pilot exercised the throttle to no avail, and being unable to maintain altitude, elected to land in a field. The gear caught a fence, the aircraft overshot the field, and came to rest on state road 628. The aircraft suffered substantial damage (broken gear, fuselage, both wings same side, and the propeller). The state police officer reported 3 inches of fuel remaining in the tank. The iad FSDO inspector, who inspected the aircraft in the owner's hangar, reported that the engine turned freely by hand, the gascolator had clean fuel, and the two-stroke oil supply tank was full. (.19) on June 26, 1998, at 1700 eastern daylight time, a homebuilt, fisher fp 404, N6188X, was substantially damaged when it collided with terrain during a forced landing near Louisa, Virginia. The certificated private pilot received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed. The personal flight was co nducted under 14 CFR part 91. The flight originated at warrenton, Virginia, and was destined for Louisa, Virginia. According to the pilot, he was cruising at 1,500 feet MSL, en route to Louisa to purchase fuel, when the engine RPM dropped from 5,800 to 3,000. The pilot said he, "played with the throttle," but was unable to maintain altitude, and elected to perform a forced landing to a field. During the landing, the airplane exited the field, crossed a fence, and impacted on state route 68. The airplane was moved to a hangar where a federal aviation administration (FAA) inspector examined the wreckage. According to the inspector, the uncertificated two cycle engine was rotated manually, and it was lubricated. Examination of the fuel in the gascolator revealed no water or contaminants. The examination did not reveal any anomalies with the airplane or the engine. The pilot reported over 200 hours of total flight experience including 20 hours in make and model. He said the total capacity of the fuel tank was 7 1/2 gallons, and the fuel burn was 5 gallons of fuel remaining. (.4) the pilot reported that he was cruising at 1,500 feet MSL, en route to purchase fuel, when the engine RPM dropped from 5,800 to 3,000. He said he, 'played with the throttle,' but was unable to maintain altitude, and elected to perform a forced landing to a field. During the landing, the airplane exited the field, crossed a fence, and impacted on state route 68. Examination of the fuel in the gascolator revealed no water or contaminants. The examination did not reveal any anomalies with the airplane or the uncertificated two cycle engine.
As the FAA filed it
LOST POWER ENROUTE. OVERSHOT FIELD LANDING. HIT FENCE AND ROADWAY. POSSIBLE FUEL EXHAUSTION. (-23) WHILE AT 1500 FEET, APPROX. 4 MILES FROM THE LOUISA COUNTY AIRPORT (LKU), WHICH WAS THE NEXT SCHEDULED STOP, THE ENGINE RPM DROPPED FROM 5800 TO 3000 RPM. THE PILOT EXERCISED THE THROTTLE TO NO AVAIL, AND BEING UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE, ELECTED TO LAND IN A FIELD. THE GEAR CAUGHT A FENCE, THE AIRCRAFT OVERSHOT THE FIELD, AND CAME TO REST ON STATE ROAD 628. THE AIRCRAFT SUFFERED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE (BROKEN GEAR, FUSELAGE, BOTH WINGS SAME SIDE, AND THE PROPELLER). THE STATE POLICE OFFICER REPORTED 3 INCHES OF FUEL REMAINING IN THE TANK. THE IAD FSDO INSPECTOR, WHO INSPECTED THE AIRCRAFT IN THE OWNER'S HANGAR, REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE TURNED FREELY BY HAND, THE GASCOLATOR HAD CLEAN FUEL, AND THE TWO-STROKE OIL SUPPLY TANK WAS FULL. (.19) ON JUNE 26, 1998, AT 1700 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A HOMEBUILT, FISHER FP 404, N6188X, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN DURING A FORCED LANDING NEAR LOUISA, VIRGINIA. THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS CO NDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT WARRENTON, VIRGINIA, AND WAS DESTINED FOR LOUISA, VIRGINIA. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE WAS CRUISING AT 1,500 FEET MSL, EN ROUTE TO LOUISA TO PURCHASE FUEL, WHEN THE ENGINE RPM DROPPED FROM 5,800 TO 3,000. THE PILOT SAID HE, "PLAYED WITH THE THROTTLE," BUT WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE, AND ELECTED TO PERFORM A FORCED LANDING TO A FIELD. DURING THE LANDING, THE AIRPLANE EXITED THE FIELD, CROSSED A FENCE, AND IMPACTED ON STATE ROUTE 68. THE AIRPLANE WAS MOVED TO A HANGAR WHERE A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) INSPECTOR EXAMINED THE WRECKAGE. ACCORDING TO THE INSPECTOR, THE UNCERTIFICATED TWO CYCLE ENGINE WAS ROTATED MANUALLY, AND IT WAS LUBRICATED. EXAMINATION OF THE FUEL IN THE GASCOLATOR REVEALED NO WATER OR CONTAMINANTS. THE EXAMINATION DID NOT REVEAL ANY ANOMALIES WITH THE AIRPLANE OR THE ENGINE. THE PILOT REPORTED OVER 200 HOURS OF TOTAL FLIGHT EXPERIENCE INCLUDING 20 HOURS IN MAKE AND MODEL. HE SAID THE TOTAL CAPACITY OF THE FUEL TANK WAS 7 1/2 GALLONS, AND THE FUEL BURN WAS 5 GALLONS OF FUEL REMAINING. (.4) THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS CRUISING AT 1,500 FEET MSL, EN ROUTE TO PURCHASE FUEL, WHEN THE ENGINE RPM DROPPED FROM 5,800 TO 3,000. HE SAID HE, 'PLAYED WITH THE THROTTLE,' BUT WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE, AND ELECTED TO PERFORM A FORCED LANDING TO A FIELD. DURING THE LANDING, THE AIRPLANE EXITED THE FIELD, CROSSED A FENCE, AND IMPACTED ON STATE ROUTE 68. EXAMINATION OF THE FUEL IN THE GASCOLATOR REVEALED NO WATER OR CONTAMINANTS. THE EXAMINATION DID NOT REVEAL ANY ANOMALIES WITH THE AIRPLANE OR THE UNCERTIFICATED TWO CYCLE ENGINE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.