# Accident 19990906026089A: Amtr WHTLIGHTING, Greenfield, IN, September 6, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: September 6, 1999, 11:00 local time - Place: Greenfield, IN - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 39.7902° N, 85.7697° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.7902&lon=-85.7697&mi=10 - Aircraft: N25WL, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N25WL) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Van Grouw R / Cantrell L WHITE LIGHTNING (registry code 05618L4, https://openairdocs.org/model/van-grouw-r-cantrell-l-white-lightning) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Continental IO-360 series (registry code 17025, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-360-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: AMTR WHTLIGHTING - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI99LA319](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI99LA319) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990906026089A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19) ON SEPTEMBER 6, 1999, AT 1100 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME (CST), A VAN GROUW WHITE LIGHTNING, N25WL, COLLIDED WITH A CORN CROP DURING A FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE FORCED LANDING WAS MADE IN GREENFIELD, INDIANA. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS NOT INJURED AND THE AIRPLANE RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS OPERATING IN VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS WITHOUT A FLIGHT PLAN. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE MT. COMFORT AIRPORT, INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, AT 1020 CST. PILOT REPORTED THAT THIS WAS THE FIRST FLIGHT AFTER HAVING HAD THE ANNUAL INSPECTION ON THE AIRPLANE COMPLETED. HE REPORTED HE DEPARTED THE MT. COMFORT AIRPORT AND CLIMBED TO AN ALTITUDE OF 4,000 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL (MSL) OVER THE AIRPORT. HE CONTINUED TO CIRCLE AT THIS ALTITUDE FOR APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES WHILE HE CHECKING THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. HE REPORTED HE THEN DESCENDED AND CROSS THE RUNWAY 25 LOCALIZER OUTBOUND TO CHECK THE LOCALIZER OPERATION. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT AFTER PASSING OVER THE OUTER MARKER AT 2,700 FEET MSL THE ENGINE BEGAN TO LOSE POWER. HE TURNED BACK TOWARD THE AIRPORT, BUT WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE SO HE SELECTED A FIELD IN WHICH TO LAND. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE BELIEVES THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING WHEN HE TOUCHED DOWN. INSPECTION OF THE AIRPLANE BY AN INSPECTOR FROM THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE REVEALED THE ENGINE, PROPELLER, AND BOTH WINGS WERE DAMAGED DURING THE FORCED LANDING. THE INSPECTOR REPORTED THAT THE SCREW IN OIL PLUG IN THE BOTTOM OF THE OIL SUMP WAS MISSING AND THE ENGINE HAD SUFFERED FROM OIL EXHAUSTION. (-23)AIRCRAFT N25WL WAS TRYING TO RETURN TO MT. COMFORT AIRPORT (MQJ) WHEN THE PILOT STARTED EXPERIENCING ENGINE TROUBLE. DURING THE INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT AT THE ACCIDENT SITE, IT WAS NOTED THAT THE OIL DRAIN PLUG WAS FOUND IN THE BOTTOM OF THE ENGINE COWLING. THE ENGINE QUIT DUE TO THE LOSS OF OIL. ## 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 CHI99LA319](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI99LA319), Sep 6, 1999: Van Grouw White Lightning (N25WL), Greenfield, IN, substantial damage. Probable cause: improper installation of the oil quick drain plug which resulted in oil exhaustion to the engine. A factor was the corn crop encountered during the forced landing. ## Other reports on N25WL (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 20230806021909A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20230806021909A), Aug 6, 2023: Van Grouw R / Cantrell L WHITE LIGHTNING (N25WL), Las Vegas, NM, Destroyed. The pilot departed boulder, co after topping off the fuel enroute to espanola, NM (E14). After approximatley 2.0 hours of flight, the engine began to lose… 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.