What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On September 5, 1998, at about 1117 local time, a Grumman AA-5B tiger, N28395, experienced engine power loss in cruise flight near Winnsboro, SC. The pilot/owner of the aircraft and instructor executed emergency procedures. The engine continued to lose power. The pilot realized that they could not return to the nearest airport (Fairfield County Airport) and attempted to land in a field. On landing, the aircraft received substantial damage. The occupants were not injured. (.4) retunring to their home field after conducting practice instrument approaches, in cruise flight at 2,500 feet MSL, the pilot and his safety pilot/passenger experienced a gradual loss of power. They turned toward, and were given distance and headings from columbia ATC to the nearest airfield when the decided they wouldn't make it, and landed in a grass pasture sustaining substantial damage. Post-crash examination and operation of the engine, on the aircraft, using the pre-crash fuel source, revealed nothing that would have caused the loss of power. Using the reported meteorological conditions at the time of the accident, reference to carburetor icing charts puts this flight within the region labeled, 'visible
As the FAA filed it
ON SEPTEMBER 5, 1998, AT ABOUT 1117 LOCAL TIME, A GRUMMAN AA-5B TIGER, N28395, EXPERIENCED ENGINE POWER LOSS IN CRUISE FLIGHT NEAR WINNSBORO, SC. THE PILOT/OWNER OF THE AIRCRAFT AND INSTRUCTOR EXECUTED EMERGENCY PROCEDURES. THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO LOSE POWER. THE PILOT REALIZED THAT THEY COULD NOT RETURN TO THE NEAREST AIRPORT (FAIRFIELD COUNTY AIRPORT) AND ATTEMPTED TO LAND IN A FIELD. ON LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE OCCUPANTS WERE NOT INJURED. (.4) RETUNRING TO THEIR HOME FIELD AFTER CONDUCTING PRACTICE INSTRUMENT APPROACHES, IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT 2,500 FEET MSL, THE PILOT AND HIS SAFETY PILOT/PASSENGER EXPERIENCED A GRADUAL LOSS OF POWER. THEY TURNED TOWARD, AND WERE GIVEN DISTANCE AND HEADINGS FROM COLUMBIA ATC TO THE NEAREST AIRFIELD WHEN THE DECIDED THEY WOULDN'T MAKE IT, AND LANDED IN A GRASS PASTURE SUSTAINING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. POST-CRASH EXAMINATION AND OPERATION OF THE ENGINE, ON THE AIRCRAFT, USING THE PRE-CRASH FUEL SOURCE, REVEALED NOTHING THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE LOSS OF POWER. USING THE REPORTED METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, REFERENCE TO CARBURETOR ICING CHARTS PUTS THIS FLIGHT WITHIN THE REGION LABELED, 'VISIBLE
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.