# Accident 19990821047709A: Piper PA18150, Granite City, IL, August 21, 1999

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 21, 1999, 10:15 local time
- Place: Granite City, IL
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 38.7106° N, 90.1195° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.7106&lon=-90.1195&mi=10
- Aircraft: N90904, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N90904-2007-04-19) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-18-150 (registry code 7101828, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-18-150) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA18150
- Reported engine: LYC O320*
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 2,140 total, 90 in this make and model, 120 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI99LA308](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI99LA308) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990821047709A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(.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.

## 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 CHI99LA308](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI99LA308), Aug 21, 1999: Piper PA-18-150 (N90904), Granite City, IL, substantial damage. Probable cause: Loss of power for undetermined reason(s) and the rough/uneven.

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.