What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft engine quit on final approach to rwy 13. (.19) on December 6, 1998, at 1601 eastern standard time, a michael l. thibault, RV-4, N62632, an experimental airplane collided with a mailbox, according to the pilot, during an emergency landing near the okeechobe airport in Okeechobee, Florida. The personal flight operated under the provisions of title 14 CFR part 91 with no flight plan filed. A review of weather data recovered from the nearest reporting facility disclosed that visual weather conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. According to the pilot, the airplane sustained substantial airframe damage. The commercial pilot was not injured. The initial departure time from Okeechobee, Florida, was not determined. The pilot reported that he had made several touch and go landings at Okeechobee airport. While on final approach to runway 13, the pilot experienced a complete loss of engine power. The pilot elected to attempt an emergency landing on a public street. During the emergency landing, the right wing collided with a mailbox, and a parked van. (.4) while on final approach to runway 13, the pilot experienced a complete loss of engine power. The pilot elected to attempt an emergency landing on a public street. During the emergency landing, the right wing collided with a mailbox and a parked van. The post-accident examination of the accident site disclosed that the airplane rested in a ditch adjacent to the public street. The examination of the airplane revealed that fuel was present in the fuel system. Examination of the ignition system disclosed that the spark plugs displayed a clean ignition pattern. No obvious mechanical problems with the airplane were observed during the field examination. Weather conditions were favorable for the formation of carburetor ice, and the pilot did not report applying carburetor heat during any phase of the flight. (-23) on 12/06/98, Mr. Thibault departed his grass strip approx. 0800 and flew over to Okeechobee County Airport (obe) and accomplished 4 takeoffs and full stop landings for his own proficiency. Later in the afternoon he took off from obe and made approx. 4 more takeoffs with full stop landings. At approx 1600 local time, while coming around to land on runway 13 at obe, power was reduced for landing and the engine quit. The pilot made an emergenc y landing in a residential area approx 1/4 mile from the airport. The aircraft hit a mailbox and the rear window of a van causing the aircraft to veer right and come to rest in a ditch. This caused substantial damage to both wings.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT ENGINE QUIT ON FINAL APPROACH TO RWY 13. (.19) ON DECEMBER 6, 1998, AT 1601 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A MICHAEL L. THIBAULT, RV-4, N62632, AN EXPERIMENTAL AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH A MAILBOX, ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, DURING AN EMERGENCY LANDING NEAR THE OKEECHOBE AIRPORT IN OKEECHOBEE, FLORIDA. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT OPERATED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 WITH NO FLIGHT PLAN FILED. A REVIEW OF WEATHER DATA RECOVERED FROM THE NEAREST REPORTING FACILITY DISCLOSED THAT VISUAL WEATHER CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL AIRFRAME DAMAGE. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. THE INITIAL DEPARTURE TIME FROM OKEECHOBEE, FLORIDA, WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HAD MADE SEVERAL TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS AT OKEECHOBEE AIRPORT. WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 13, THE PILOT EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE PILOT ELECTED TO ATTEMPT AN EMERGENCY LANDING ON A PUBLIC STREET. DURING THE EMERGENCY LANDING, THE RIGHT WING COLLIDED WITH A MAILBOX, AND A PARKED VAN. (.4) WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 13, THE PILOT EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE PILOT ELECTED TO ATTEMPT AN EMERGENCY LANDING ON A PUBLIC STREET. DURING THE EMERGENCY LANDING, THE RIGHT WING COLLIDED WITH A MAILBOX AND A PARKED VAN. THE POST-ACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE ACCIDENT SITE DISCLOSED THAT THE AIRPLANE RESTED IN A DITCH ADJACENT TO THE PUBLIC STREET. THE EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THAT FUEL WAS PRESENT IN THE FUEL SYSTEM. EXAMINATION OF THE IGNITION SYSTEM DISCLOSED THAT THE SPARK PLUGS DISPLAYED A CLEAN IGNITION PATTERN. NO OBVIOUS MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE AIRPLANE WERE OBSERVED DURING THE FIELD EXAMINATION. WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE FAVORABLE FOR THE FORMATION OF CARBURETOR ICE, AND THE PILOT DID NOT REPORT APPLYING CARBURETOR HEAT DURING ANY PHASE OF THE FLIGHT. (-23) ON 12/06/98, MR. THIBAULT DEPARTED HIS GRASS STRIP APPROX. 0800 AND FLEW OVER TO OKEECHOBEE COUNTY AIRPORT (OBE) AND ACCOMPLISHED 4 TAKEOFFS AND FULL STOP LANDINGS FOR HIS OWN PROFICIENCY. LATER IN THE AFTERNOON HE TOOK OFF FROM OBE AND MADE APPROX. 4 MORE TAKEOFFS WITH FULL STOP LANDINGS. AT APPROX 1600 LOCAL TIME, WHILE COMING AROUND TO LAND ON RUNWAY 13 AT OBE, POWER WAS REDUCED FOR LANDING AND THE ENGINE QUIT. THE PILOT MADE AN EMERGENC Y LANDING IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA APPROX 1/4 MILE FROM THE AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT HIT A MAILBOX AND THE REAR WINDOW OF A VAN CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO VEER RIGHT AND COME TO REST IN A DITCH. THIS CAUSED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO BOTH WINGS.
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 N62632 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.