# Accident 19981206032799A: Amtr RV4, Okeechobee, FL, December 6, 1998 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: December 6, 1998, 16:01 local time - Place: Okeechobee, FL - Airport: Okeechobee County Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Forced Landing - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 27.5008° N, 80.9296° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=27.5008&lon=-80.9296&mi=10 - Aircraft: N62632, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N62632) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Thibault Michael L RV4 (registry code 05605M3, https://openairdocs.org/model/thibault-michael-l-rv4) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series (registry code 41514, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: AMTR RV4 - Reported engine: LYC O360F1A6 - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 2,000 total, 2 in this make and model - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ATL99LA030](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL99LA030) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19981206032799A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. 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. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB ATL99LA030](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL99LA030), Dec 6, 1998: Michael L. Thibault RV-4 (N62632), Okeechobee, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to use carburetor heat that resulted in the total loss of engine power. Factors were conditions favorable for the formation of carburetor ice. ## Other reports on N62632 (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 20140821019539A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20140821019539A), Aug 21, 2014: Thibault Michael L RV4 (N62632), Gilbert, PA, Substantial damage. Pilot was at cruise when he switched fuel tanks. Engine sputtered and failed. Pilot switched tanks attempted restart. Unable to regain engine power pilot made… From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.