What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft engine was running rough, and the pilot made an emergency landing in a field.(.19) on October 7, 1998, at 1700 central daylight time, a wilson teenie two experimental homebuilt airplane, N5576, was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a partial loss of engine power near Abilene, Texas. Visual meteorological condition prevailed and a flight plan was not filed for the personal flight conducted under title 14 CFR part 91. The private pilot, sole occupant of the airplane, was not injured. The flight originated from the Elmdale Airpark Airport, Abilene, Texas. According to preliminary information, the aircraft's engine began to "run rough," and the pilot initiated a forced landing to a plowed field. During the landing the aircraft nosed over. The pilot moved the aircraft to a hangar at the Elmdale Airpark Airport prior to the FAA inspector's arrival. Examination of the aircraft by the FAA inspector revealed that the fuselage was bent, the left main landing gear and nose landing gear were separated, the horizontal stabilizer damaged, and the vertical fin's skin was wrinkled near the fuselage attaching point. (-23) pilot experienced normal takeoff then lost RPM on climb out and aircraft began to descend. Pilot was unable to make 180 degree turn for runway and landed in a freshly plowed field approx 3/4 mile north of the Elmdale airport runway. The pilot indicated during an interview that carburetor icing may have caused the loss of power.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT ENGINE WAS RUNNING ROUGH, AND THE PILOT MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A FIELD.(.19) ON OCTOBER 7, 1998, AT 1700 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A WILSON TEENIE TWO EXPERIMENTAL HOMEBUILT AIRPLANE, N5576, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING A PARTIAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER NEAR ABILENE, TEXAS. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITION PREVAILED AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT CONDUCTED UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 91. THE PRIVATE PILOT, SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRPLANE, WAS NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE ELMDALE AIRPARK AIRPORT, ABILENE, TEXAS. ACCORDING TO PRELIMINARY INFORMATION, THE AIRCRAFT'S ENGINE BEGAN TO "RUN ROUGH," AND THE PILOT INITIATED A FORCED LANDING TO A PLOWED FIELD. DURING THE LANDING THE AIRCRAFT NOSED OVER. THE PILOT MOVED THE AIRCRAFT TO A HANGAR AT THE ELMDALE AIRPARK AIRPORT PRIOR TO THE FAA INSPECTOR'S ARRIVAL. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT BY THE FAA INSPECTOR REVEALED THAT THE FUSELAGE WAS BENT, THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR AND NOSE LANDING GEAR WERE SEPARATED, THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER DAMAGED, AND THE VERTICAL FIN'S SKIN WAS WRINKLED NEAR THE FUSELAGE ATTACHING POINT. (-23) PILOT EXPERIENCED NORMAL TAKEOFF THEN LOST RPM ON CLIMB OUT AND AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO DESCEND. PILOT WAS UNABLE TO MAKE 180 DEGREE TURN FOR RUNWAY AND LANDED IN A FRESHLY PLOWED FIELD APPROX 3/4 MILE NORTH OF THE ELMDALE AIRPORT RUNWAY. THE PILOT INDICATED DURING AN INTERVIEW THAT CARBURETOR ICING MAY HAVE CAUSED THE LOSS OF POWER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.