What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.4) The pilot said that during cruise flight the engine lost power. During the forced landing on rough and uneven terrain the airplane was substantially damaged. The pilot said he did not know the nature or origin of the loss of engine power. Subsequent to the accident, but after the airplane was moved to a location away from the accident site, an inspection of the engine and airframe failed to reveal any mechanical anomalies. The top spark plugs were removed and had brown deposits on them. The wings had been removed and no fuel remained in the fuel tanks; however, what fuel was present in the lines appeared blue in color, and was free of contamination. (-23) pilot (greenspan) departed creve coeur airport (iho) at 0915 central daylight time with one passenger on a part 91 personal flight. After 30 minutes into the flight the pilot (greenspan) stated that the engine began to run rough. Pilot (greenspan) stated that he switched fuel tanks and applied carburetor heat, but the engine still ran rough with low power. Greenspan (pilot) then selected a field for a forced off airport landing. Pilot (greenspan) continued to state that performed the emergency checklist while circ ling the field one time. Pilot (greenspan) stated that he briefed his passenger on the use of his seatbelt and shoulder harness, and made the final approach to the field (chouteau island, madison county, IL) with full flaps at 50 mph indicated airspeed. Pilot (greenspan) stated that the touchdown was in a three point attitude (nose up) at approximately 50 mph and the aircraft nosed over immediately upon touchdown making ground contact with the propeller, engine cowling and flipping the aircraft on its dorsal side. Greenspan (pilot) evacuated his passenger, turned the battery master switches off and closed the fuel shutoff. There was substantial damage to the aircraft. The following damage was noted: firewall bent, fuselage frame at wing at left forward wing attach point is cracked, vertical stabilizer bent, rudder bent, instrument panel dented forward, more lower center section, both top engine mounts area bent, all wings struts are bent. Right wing spar is bent. During the investigation and teardown of aircraft there were no apparent engine defects noted. There was no fuel recovery. The pilot stated that all of the fuel leaked out of the aircraft. The fuel that was trapped in the fuel lines was blue in color without signs of contamination.
As the FAA filed it
(.4) THE PILOT SAID THAT DURING CRUISE FLIGHT THE ENGINE LOST POWER. DURING THE FORCED LANDING ON ROUGH AND UNEVEN TERRAIN THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE PILOT SAID HE DID NOT KNOW THE NATURE OR ORIGIN OF THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. SUBSEQUENT TO THE ACCIDENT, BUT AFTER THE AIRPLANE WAS MOVED TO A LOCATION AWAY FROM THE ACCIDENT SITE, AN INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE AND AIRFRAME FAILED TO REVEAL ANY MECHANICAL ANOMALIES. THE TOP SPARK PLUGS WERE REMOVED AND HAD BROWN DEPOSITS ON THEM. THE WINGS HAD BEEN REMOVED AND NO FUEL REMAINED IN THE FUEL TANKS; HOWEVER, WHAT FUEL WAS PRESENT IN THE LINES APPEARED BLUE IN COLOR, AND WAS FREE OF CONTAMINATION. (-23) PILOT (GREENSPAN) DEPARTED CREVE COEUR AIRPORT (IHO) AT 0915 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME WITH ONE PASSENGER ON A PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. AFTER 30 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT THE PILOT (GREENSPAN) STATED THAT THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH. PILOT (GREENSPAN) STATED THAT HE SWITCHED FUEL TANKS AND APPLIED CARBURETOR HEAT, BUT THE ENGINE STILL RAN ROUGH WITH LOW POWER. GREENSPAN (PILOT) THEN SELECTED A FIELD FOR A FORCED OFF AIRPORT LANDING. PILOT (GREENSPAN) CONTINUED TO STATE THAT PERFORMED THE EMERGENCY CHECKLIST WHILE CIRC LING THE FIELD ONE TIME. PILOT (GREENSPAN) STATED THAT HE BRIEFED HIS PASSENGER ON THE USE OF HIS SEATBELT AND SHOULDER HARNESS, AND MADE THE FINAL APPROACH TO THE FIELD (CHOUTEAU ISLAND, MADISON COUNTY, IL) WITH FULL FLAPS AT 50 MPH INDICATED AIRSPEED. PILOT (GREENSPAN) STATED THAT THE TOUCHDOWN WAS IN A THREE POINT ATTITUDE (NOSE UP) AT APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH AND THE AIRCRAFT NOSED OVER IMMEDIATELY UPON TOUCHDOWN MAKING GROUND CONTACT WITH THE PROPELLER, ENGINE COWLING AND FLIPPING THE AIRCRAFT ON ITS DORSAL SIDE. GREENSPAN (PILOT) EVACUATED HIS PASSENGER, TURNED THE BATTERY MASTER SWITCHES OFF AND CLOSED THE FUEL SHUTOFF. THERE WAS SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. THE FOLLOWING DAMAGE WAS NOTED: FIREWALL BENT, FUSELAGE FRAME AT WING AT LEFT FORWARD WING ATTACH POINT IS CRACKED, VERTICAL STABILIZER BENT, RUDDER BENT, INSTRUMENT PANEL DENTED FORWARD, MORE LOWER CENTER SECTION, BOTH TOP ENGINE MOUNTS AREA BENT, ALL WINGS STRUTS ARE BENT. RIGHT WING SPAR IS BENT. DURING THE INVESTIGATION AND TEARDOWN OF AIRCRAFT THERE WERE NO APPARENT ENGINE DEFECTS NOTED. THERE WAS NO FUEL RECOVERY. THE PILOT STATED THAT ALL OF THE FUEL LEAKED OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE FUEL THAT WAS TRAPPED IN THE FUEL LINES WAS BLUE IN COLOR WITHOUT SIGNS OF CONTAMINATION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.