What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft engine quit, and the pilot made an emergency landing in a vacant lot near the intersection of lake and swift streets, other circumstances are unknown. (.19) on July 6, 1999, at 0840 central daylight time, a Cessna 172N, N739ND, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing, in an open field near Addison, Illinois. The commercial pilot and two passengers reported minor injuries. The aerial observation CFR 14 part 91 flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan was on file. The local flight departed dupage airport, near west chicago, Illinois about 0600. The pilot said the airplane was in cruise flight about 1,000 feet above ground level when the engine suffered a loss of power. He said he attempted to restart the engine and it did regain power for a short period, but then lost total power and a forced landing was conducted. Examination of the airplane after the accident revealed the left fuel tank contained no fuel, while the right fuel tank was full. (-23) N739ND was on an air traffic observation/reporting flight, a usual flight for the aircraft on a daily basis. The flight had been in progress fo r about 2.6 hours when the engine failed. An emergency landing to a vacant field was executed. Upon landing the aircraft sustained substantial damage to the landing gear, propeller and fuselage. The passengers and pilot exited the aircraft under their own power and sustained minor injuries. Accident scene inspection revealed that the left fuel tank was empty and the right fuel tank was near full. (.4) the pilot said that he was in cruise flight at 1,000 feet above ground level when the engine lost power. He said that he attempted to restart the engine and it did start up, but again lost power. He then conducted a forced landing in a soft open field. A check of the airplane after the accident found that the left fuel tank contained no fuel, while the right fuel tank was full. The fuel selector was found in the 'off' position. A check of the fuel system and engine failed to find any mechanical anomalies.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT ENGINE QUIT, AND THE PILOT MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A VACANT LOT NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF LAKE AND SWIFT STREETS, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (.19) ON JULY 6, 1999, AT 0840 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 172N, N739ND, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING A FORCED LANDING, IN AN OPEN FIELD NEAR ADDISON, ILLINOIS. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS REPORTED MINOR INJURIES. THE AERIAL OBSERVATION CFR 14 PART 91 FLIGHT WAS OPERATING IN VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS ON FILE. THE LOCAL FLIGHT DEPARTED DUPAGE AIRPORT, NEAR WEST CHICAGO, ILLINOIS ABOUT 0600. THE PILOT SAID THE AIRPLANE WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT ABOUT 1,000 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL WHEN THE ENGINE SUFFERED A LOSS OF POWER. HE SAID HE ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE ENGINE AND IT DID REGAIN POWER FOR A SHORT PERIOD, BUT THEN LOST TOTAL POWER AND A FORCED LANDING WAS CONDUCTED. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE AFTER THE ACCIDENT REVEALED THE LEFT FUEL TANK CONTAINED NO FUEL, WHILE THE RIGHT FUEL TANK WAS FULL. (-23) N739ND WAS ON AN AIR TRAFFIC OBSERVATION/REPORTING FLIGHT, A USUAL FLIGHT FOR THE AIRCRAFT ON A DAILY BASIS. THE FLIGHT HAD BEEN IN PROGRESS FO R ABOUT 2.6 HOURS WHEN THE ENGINE FAILED. AN EMERGENCY LANDING TO A VACANT FIELD WAS EXECUTED. UPON LANDING THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE LANDING GEAR, PROPELLER AND FUSELAGE. THE PASSENGERS AND PILOT EXITED THE AIRCRAFT UNDER THEIR OWN POWER AND SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. ACCIDENT SCENE INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE LEFT FUEL TANK WAS EMPTY AND THE RIGHT FUEL TANK WAS NEAR FULL. (.4) THE PILOT SAID THAT HE WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT 1,000 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL WHEN THE ENGINE LOST POWER. HE SAID THAT HE ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE ENGINE AND IT DID START UP, BUT AGAIN LOST POWER. HE THEN CONDUCTED A FORCED LANDING IN A SOFT OPEN FIELD. A CHECK OF THE AIRPLANE AFTER THE ACCIDENT FOUND THAT THE LEFT FUEL TANK CONTAINED NO FUEL, WHILE THE RIGHT FUEL TANK WAS FULL. THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS FOUND IN THE 'OFF' POSITION. A CHECK OF THE FUEL SYSTEM AND ENGINE FAILED TO FIND ANY MECHANICAL ANOMALIES.
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 N739ND · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.