20010823023829A

(-23) On 08/23/2001 at 1745 local time the pilot of Navion N1017B reported loss of engine power while enroute back to the aircrafts home base. The pilot reported that the engine restarted at least twice after the initial power loss but ran only momentarily each time. The pilot, the only occupant of the aircraft, received fatal injuries when the aircraft struck trees short of the forced landing site. (.19) on August 23, 2001, at 1840 eastern daylight time, a Navion L-V7B, N1017B, owned and piloted by a private pilot, sustained substantial damage during an in-flight collision with trees and terrain near Newaygo, Michigan. The aircraft was executing a forced landing subsequent to a loss of engine power during cruise flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91 and was not on a flight plan. The pilot, the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The flight departed the lakeview airport, lakeview, Michigan, at an unconfirmed time. According to a Michigan state police incident report, witnesses near the accident location reported that the a ircraft was experiencing engine difficulties prior to and during the collision with the trees and terrain. The incident report included several witness reports, included below: the incident report states that a witness reported that, "he heard the engine running and then it suddenly cut out. He heard the engine start back up and then cut out again. He watched as the airplane was losing altitude and getting closer to the tree tops. He said that the airplane disappeared in the woods and heard a loud crash." The incident report states that another witness reported that, "he said they were outside and heard an airplane flying overhead. It sounded like the plane was having engine trouble. [The witness] heard the engine stop while the plane was in flight. He the engine started back up and stopped again. He said that the plane was gliding and losing altitude at this point. He watched the plane get closer to the tree tops and then disappear in the woods. He heard a loud crash as the plane hit the trees. [The witness] said there was another airplane in the air at the time of the crash. It looked as though the two [airplanes] were traveling together." The incident report states that another witness reported that, "he told me he was at his residence when he heard an airplane flying over. He said the plane was traveling westbound. He [the witness] heard the engine shut off as it was flying. He told me [the reporting officer] he heard the engine start back up. He told me [the reporting officer] he believes the engine stopped and restarted three times. He went on to say that he saw the airplane losing altitude and then disappeared from his line of sight." The pilot of the accompanying airplane reported that he and the pilot of the accident airplane had flown together to lakeview, Michigan, to pick-up the accident airplane after its annual inspection. The pilot stated that he and the accident pilot were en route to fremont airport, fremont, Michigan, when the accident pilot reported over the radio that he was experiencing engine difficulties. The pilot reported that he instructed the accident pilot to complete his emergency engine restart procedure. The pilot stated that the accident pilot was able to restart the engine but the engine loss power again. The pilot reported that the airplane lost altitude, impacting the trees and terrain.