What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft experienced engine problems en route, and the pilot made a forced landing in a field.(-23) Mr. Winkles was the pilot of N21491, a PA-28-181, on 10-10-98, on approach to Spartanburg (spa), SC, at approximately 3000 feet AGL. The engine began to run rough. Mr. Winkles switched from the left tank to the right tank and back to the left. He turned on the carburetor heat and the engine ran rougher. Mr. Winkles turned the carburetor heat off and looked for a place to land. He landed in a pasture of a horse farm hitting a fence on roll out. The landing gear was torn out and the aircraft turned 90 degrees and slid approximately 110 feet to a stop. No injuries to the pilot or the three passengers. (.4) according to the pilot, when the flight was approximately 11 miles from of Spartanburg, south carolina, the airplanes left fuel gauge began to bounce between four and eight gallons. The pilot then switched the fuel selector valve to the right tank. After five to ten seconds, the engine began to sputter and a loss of engine power was noticed. The pilot immediately switched the fuel selector back to the left tank, pushed throttle and mixture back to full forward, and turned the fuel pump on. The pilot elected to land the airplane in a field when engine power could not be regained. The pilot initially chose to land on a road, but with the engine power regained momentarily, he aborted the landing and began a climbing left turn. As the turn was completed, the engine once again lost power and the pilot put the aircraft down in a field. After traveling approximately 130 feet after touch down, the airplane struck a fence and then traveled another 180 feet. There were no injuries to either the pilot or his wife and two children. When the engine was run after the accident it ran smooth and developed power for five minutes.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT EXPERIENCED ENGINE PROBLEMS EN ROUTE, AND THE PILOT MADE A FORCED LANDING IN A FIELD.(-23) MR. WINKLES WAS THE PILOT OF N21491, A PA-28-181, ON 10-10-98, ON APPROACH TO SPARTANBURG (SPA), SC, AT APPROXIMATELY 3000 FEET AGL. THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH. MR. WINKLES SWITCHED FROM THE LEFT TANK TO THE RIGHT TANK AND BACK TO THE LEFT. HE TURNED ON THE CARBURETOR HEAT AND THE ENGINE RAN ROUGHER. MR. WINKLES TURNED THE CARBURETOR HEAT OFF AND LOOKED FOR A PLACE TO LAND. HE LANDED IN A PASTURE OF A HORSE FARM HITTING A FENCE ON ROLL OUT. THE LANDING GEAR WAS TORN OUT AND THE AIRCRAFT TURNED 90 DEGREES AND SLID APPROXIMATELY 110 FEET TO A STOP. NO INJURIES TO THE PILOT OR THE THREE PASSENGERS. (.4) ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, WHEN THE FLIGHT WAS APPROXIMATELY 11 MILES FROM OF SPARTANBURG, SOUTH CAROLINA, THE AIRPLANES LEFT FUEL GAUGE BEGAN TO BOUNCE BETWEEN FOUR AND EIGHT GALLONS. THE PILOT THEN SWITCHED THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE TO THE RIGHT TANK. AFTER FIVE TO TEN SECONDS, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO SPUTTER AND A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER WAS NOTICED. THE PILOT IMMEDIATELY SWITCHED THE FUEL SELECTOR BACK TO THE LEFT TANK, PUSHED THROTTLE AND MIXTURE BACK TO FULL FORWARD, AND TURNED THE FUEL PUMP ON. THE PILOT ELECTED TO LAND THE AIRPLANE IN A FIELD WHEN ENGINE POWER COULD NOT BE REGAINED. THE PILOT INITIALLY CHOSE TO LAND ON A ROAD, BUT WITH THE ENGINE POWER REGAINED MOMENTARILY, HE ABORTED THE LANDING AND BEGAN A CLIMBING LEFT TURN. AS THE TURN WAS COMPLETED, THE ENGINE ONCE AGAIN LOST POWER AND THE PILOT PUT THE AIRCRAFT DOWN IN A FIELD. AFTER TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 130 FEET AFTER TOUCH DOWN, THE AIRPLANE STRUCK A FENCE AND THEN TRAVELED ANOTHER 180 FEET. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO EITHER THE PILOT OR HIS WIFE AND TWO CHILDREN. WHEN THE ENGINE WAS RUN AFTER THE ACCIDENT IT RAN SMOOTH AND DEVELOPED POWER FOR FIVE MINUTES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N21491 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.