What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft landed in a field under unknown circumstances and bent the nose gear. (.19) on September 2, 1998, at 1050 central daylight time, a Cessna 172N, N6703E, piloted by a commercial pilot, was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a total loss of engine power during cruise flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR part 91 civil air patrol public use aerial observation flight was not operating on a flight plan. The pilot and passenger reported no injuries. The flight departed hutchinson, Minnesota, exact time unknown. The on-scene investigation revealed no fuel in N6703E'S fuel tanks. The nose gear was separated from the airframe and the bottom of the firewall was bent aft about 3-inches. The left main landing gear had separated from its fuselage mount and was bent aft along the airplane's fuselage. (-23)ten miles north of Detroit Lakes Airport (dtl) the engine quit at 1200 feet AGL. A/c landed in alfalfa field. Nose wheel departed a/c and left main twisted back and folded up. Nose cowl impacted ground and prop was bent back. Right side of fuselage was wtinkled just aft of rear window. The engine quit due to fuel depletion caused by pilot poor fuel management. *a/c was being flown by the civil air patrol.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT LANDED IN A FIELD UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES AND BENT THE NOSE GEAR. (.19) ON SEPTEMBER 2, 1998, AT 1050 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 172N, N6703E, PILOTED BY A COMMERCIAL PILOT, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING A TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DURING CRUISE FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE 14 CFR PART 91 CIVIL AIR PATROL PUBLIC USE AERIAL OBSERVATION FLIGHT WAS NOT OPERATING ON A FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER REPORTED NO INJURIES. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED HUTCHINSON, MINNESOTA, EXACT TIME UNKNOWN. THE ON-SCENE INVESTIGATION REVEALED NO FUEL IN N6703E'S FUEL TANKS. THE NOSE GEAR WAS SEPARATED FROM THE AIRFRAME AND THE BOTTOM OF THE FIREWALL WAS BENT AFT ABOUT 3-INCHES. THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR HAD SEPARATED FROM ITS FUSELAGE MOUNT AND WAS BENT AFT ALONG THE AIRPLANE'S FUSELAGE. (-23)TEN MILES NORTH OF DETROIT LAKES AIRPORT (DTL) THE ENGINE QUIT AT 1200 FEET AGL. A/C LANDED IN ALFALFA FIELD. NOSE WHEEL DEPARTED A/C AND LEFT MAIN TWISTED BACK AND FOLDED UP. NOSE COWL IMPACTED GROUND AND PROP WAS BENT BACK. RIGHT SIDE OF FUSELAGE WAS WTINKLED JUST AFT OF REAR WINDOW. THE ENGINE QUIT DUE TO FUEL DEPLETION CAUSED BY PILOT POOR FUEL MANAGEMENT. *A/C WAS BEING FLOWN BY THE CIVIL AIR PATROL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.