What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft lost power and crashed in soybean field attempting to land in a cut wheat field. (.19) on July 26, 1999, about 0830 eastern daylight time, a homebuilt pietenpol, N6286A, was substantially damaged during a forced landing at berlin township, Ohio. The certificated private pilot and passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight that originated from a private grass airstrip at valley city, Ohio; destined for wittman region airport, oshkosh, Wisconsin. No flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 CFR part 91. During a telephone interview, the pilot stated that he was in cruise flight approximately 2,000 feet mean sea level. The engine lost all power, and he made a forced landing to a soybean field. During the landing, the left main landing gear folded under the airplane, and the right wing spar fractured. He further stated, examination of the wreckage revealed four bolts, which secured the propeller, were sheared. The respective four nuts and propeller were not recovered. The pilot believed that fatigue caused one bolt to shear, and a subsequent vibration occurred. The vibration caused the remaining bolts to shear. On this particular airplane, the propeller acted as a flywheel. The pilot stated that the absence of a flywheel would cause the engine to stop. The pilot last secured the propeller to the airplane approximately 1 year before the accident. Since then, he estimated that the airplane flew approximately 40 hours. (-23) ref. Attch. Factual statement. (.4) the airplane was in cruise flight approximately 2,000 feet mean sea level. The engine lost all power, and the pilot made a forced landing to soybean field. The pilot stated that examination of the wreckage revealed four bolts, which secured the propeller, were sheared. The respective four nuts and propeller were not recovered. The pilot believed that one bolt sheared, and a subsequent vibration caused the remaining bolts to shear. On this particular airplane, the propeller acted as a flywheel. The absence of a flywheel would cause the engine to stop.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT LOST POWER AND CRASHED IN SOYBEAN FIELD ATTEMPTING TO LAND IN A CUT WHEAT FIELD. (.19) ON JULY 26, 1999, ABOUT 0830 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A HOMEBUILT PIETENPOL, N6286A, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A FORCED LANDING AT BERLIN TOWNSHIP, OHIO. THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE FLIGHT THAT ORIGINATED FROM A PRIVATE GRASS AIRSTRIP AT VALLEY CITY, OHIO; DESTINED FOR WITTMAN REGION AIRPORT, OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. DURING A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW, THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT APPROXIMATELY 2,000 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL. THE ENGINE LOST ALL POWER, AND HE MADE A FORCED LANDING TO A SOYBEAN FIELD. DURING THE LANDING, THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR FOLDED UNDER THE AIRPLANE, AND THE RIGHT WING SPAR FRACTURED. HE FURTHER STATED, EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED FOUR BOLTS, WHICH SECURED THE PROPELLER, WERE SHEARED. THE RESPECTIVE FOUR NUTS AND PROPELLER WERE NOT RECOVERED. THE PILOT BELIEVED THAT FATIGUE CAUSED ONE BOLT TO SHEAR, AND A SUBSEQUENT VIBRATION OCCURRED. THE VIBRATION CAUSED THE REMAINING BOLTS TO SHEAR. ON THIS PARTICULAR AIRPLANE, THE PROPELLER ACTED AS A FLYWHEEL. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE ABSENCE OF A FLYWHEEL WOULD CAUSE THE ENGINE TO STOP. THE PILOT LAST SECURED THE PROPELLER TO THE AIRPLANE APPROXIMATELY 1 YEAR BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. SINCE THEN, HE ESTIMATED THAT THE AIRPLANE FLEW APPROXIMATELY 40 HOURS. (-23) REF. ATTCH. FACTUAL STATEMENT. (.4) THE AIRPLANE WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT APPROXIMATELY 2,000 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL. THE ENGINE LOST ALL POWER, AND THE PILOT MADE A FORCED LANDING TO SOYBEAN FIELD. THE PILOT STATED THAT EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED FOUR BOLTS, WHICH SECURED THE PROPELLER, WERE SHEARED. THE RESPECTIVE FOUR NUTS AND PROPELLER WERE NOT RECOVERED. THE PILOT BELIEVED THAT ONE BOLT SHEARED, AND A SUBSEQUENT VIBRATION CAUSED THE REMAINING BOLTS TO SHEAR. ON THIS PARTICULAR AIRPLANE, THE PROPELLER ACTED AS A FLYWHEEL. THE ABSENCE OF A FLYWHEEL WOULD CAUSE THE ENGINE TO STOP.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.