What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft lost power, attempted to land in a field, struck power lines, and flipped over, other circumstances are unknown. (-23) Mr. Clements, a student pilot, took off from bessemer airport (ekj) on may 1, 1999, at 0900L, for a local flight. He was slated to return to ekj. The aircraft experienced engine problems near sylvan Springs, AL. After several unsuccessful attempts to smooth out the engine, the pilot made an emergency landing in a field near 135 hoagtown loop in mulga, AL 35118. Mulga is located approx. fifteen miles northwest of birmingham. A witness said he heard the airplane engine "missing" as the airplane circle from southeast prior to landing. The airplane came to a rest up-side-down with the nose facing west. 911 was called immediately. Mr. Clements exited the airplane just prior to the witness arrival at the scene and signaled he was "okay". He was transported to princeton hospital in birmingham, and released having no injuries. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing spar, the engine firewall, and the fuselage. Some collateral damage was done while flipping the aircraft over prior to repositioning. (.4) the pilot stated that he preflighted the airplane before departure with no discrepancies noted. The flight departed with full fuel tanks and flew to a nearby area where the pilot orbited several times. The pilot flew to another area then returned to the area where he orbited the first time. He later stated that he applied carburetor heat, reduced the throttle, then after seeing the area again, applied throttle and removed carburetor heat. The engine did not respond. He only verified that the mixture control was full rich, that the magneto switch was in the 'both' position, and pumped the throttle which increased engine RPM slightly. He maneuvered the airplane for a forced landing and just before touchdown, he placed the mixture control in the idle-cutoff position and the magneto switch to the off position. After touchdown, the airplane rolled through a fence then nosed over. The airplane was recovered and using some of the fuel that was in the airplane at the time of the accident, the engine was started and found to operate normally. Review of the icing probability chart revealed that the conditions were favorable for moderate icing at cruise power or serious icing at descent power.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT LOST POWER, ATTEMPTED TO LAND IN A FIELD, STRUCK POWER LINES, AND FLIPPED OVER, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (-23) MR. CLEMENTS, A STUDENT PILOT, TOOK OFF FROM BESSEMER AIRPORT (EKJ) ON MAY 1, 1999, AT 0900L, FOR A LOCAL FLIGHT. HE WAS SLATED TO RETURN TO EKJ. THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED ENGINE PROBLEMS NEAR SYLVAN SPRINGS, AL. AFTER SEVERAL UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS TO SMOOTH OUT THE ENGINE, THE PILOT MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A FIELD NEAR 135 HOAGTOWN LOOP IN MULGA, AL 35118. MULGA IS LOCATED APPROX. FIFTEEN MILES NORTHWEST OF BIRMINGHAM. A WITNESS SAID HE HEARD THE AIRPLANE ENGINE "MISSING" AS THE AIRPLANE CIRCLE FROM SOUTHEAST PRIOR TO LANDING. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO A REST UP-SIDE-DOWN WITH THE NOSE FACING WEST. 911 WAS CALLED IMMEDIATELY. MR. CLEMENTS EXITED THE AIRPLANE JUST PRIOR TO THE WITNESS ARRIVAL AT THE SCENE AND SIGNALED HE WAS "OKAY". HE WAS TRANSPORTED TO PRINCETON HOSPITAL IN BIRMINGHAM, AND RELEASED HAVING NO INJURIES. THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING SPAR, THE ENGINE FIREWALL, AND THE FUSELAGE. SOME COLLATERAL DAMAGE WAS DONE WHILE FLIPPING THE AIRCRAFT OVER PRIOR TO REPOSITIONING. (.4) THE PILOT STATED THAT HE PREFLIGHTED THE AIRPLANE BEFORE DEPARTURE WITH NO DISCREPANCIES NOTED. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED WITH FULL FUEL TANKS AND FLEW TO A NEARBY AREA WHERE THE PILOT ORBITED SEVERAL TIMES. THE PILOT FLEW TO ANOTHER AREA THEN RETURNED TO THE AREA WHERE HE ORBITED THE FIRST TIME. HE LATER STATED THAT HE APPLIED CARBURETOR HEAT, REDUCED THE THROTTLE, THEN AFTER SEEING THE AREA AGAIN, APPLIED THROTTLE AND REMOVED CARBURETOR HEAT. THE ENGINE DID NOT RESPOND. HE ONLY VERIFIED THAT THE MIXTURE CONTROL WAS FULL RICH, THAT THE MAGNETO SWITCH WAS IN THE 'BOTH' POSITION, AND PUMPED THE THROTTLE WHICH INCREASED ENGINE RPM SLIGHTLY. HE MANEUVERED THE AIRPLANE FOR A FORCED LANDING AND JUST BEFORE TOUCHDOWN, HE PLACED THE MIXTURE CONTROL IN THE IDLE-CUTOFF POSITION AND THE MAGNETO SWITCH TO THE OFF POSITION. AFTER TOUCHDOWN, THE AIRPLANE ROLLED THROUGH A FENCE THEN NOSED OVER. THE AIRPLANE WAS RECOVERED AND USING SOME OF THE FUEL THAT WAS IN THE AIRPLANE AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, THE ENGINE WAS STARTED AND FOUND TO OPERATE NORMALLY. REVIEW OF THE ICING PROBABILITY CHART REVEALED THAT THE CONDITIONS WERE FAVORABLE FOR MODERATE ICING AT CRUISE POWER OR SERIOUS ICING AT DESCENT 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.
Other reports on N5105G · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.