What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On January 13, 2002, at 1115 central standard time, a Beech V35B, N4217S, piloted by a private pilot, sustained substantial damage during an on-ground collision with the terrain while performing a forced landing following a loss of engine power while on initial climb from the Coles County Memorial Airport, Mattoon, Illinois. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91 and was not on a flight plan. The pilot and his single passenger reported no injuries. The flight was originating at the time of the accident and had the intended destination of rantoul, Illinois. (-23) on January 13, 2002 at about 1100 CST the appropriately rated private pilot and one passenger departed the Mattoon Coles county airport (mto) for a local pleasure flight. A short time after reaching cruise at 3000 feet the pilot in command noticed a fluctuation in the engine RPM. The PIC elected to return to the mto airport. As he was turning downwind the RPM fluctuated more and when on base leg for runway 24 the PIC experienced backfiring and a rough engine followed by complete loss of power. The PIC landed short of the runway touching down on the north side of highway 16, sliding across the highway and coming to rest in a ditch adjacent to the airport property. The pilot and passenger exited the aircraft without injury. The aircraft suffered substantial damage to the nose and lower cowl, nose landing gear, propeller, both wings and the tail tie-down area.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON JANUARY 13, 2002, AT 1115 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A BEECH V35B, N4217S, PILOTED BY A PRIVATE PILOT, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING AN ON-GROUND COLLISION WITH THE TERRAIN WHILE PERFORMING A FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER WHILE ON INITIAL CLIMB FROM THE COLES COUNTY MEMORIAL AIRPORT, MATTOON, ILLINOIS. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE FLIGHT WAS OPERATING UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91 AND WAS NOT ON A FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT AND HIS SINGLE PASSENGER REPORTED NO INJURIES. THE FLIGHT WAS ORIGINATING AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT AND HAD THE INTENDED DESTINATION OF RANTOUL, ILLINOIS. (-23) ON JANUARY 13, 2002 AT ABOUT 1100 CST THE APPROPRIATELY RATED PRIVATE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER DEPARTED THE MATTOON COLES COUNTY AIRPORT (MTO) FOR A LOCAL PLEASURE FLIGHT. A SHORT TIME AFTER REACHING CRUISE AT 3000 FEET THE PILOT IN COMMAND NOTICED A FLUCTUATION IN THE ENGINE RPM. THE PIC ELECTED TO RETURN TO THE MTO AIRPORT. AS HE WAS TURNING DOWNWIND THE RPM FLUCTUATED MORE AND WHEN ON BASE LEG FOR RUNWAY 24 THE PIC EXPERIENCED BACKFIRING AND A ROUGH ENGINE FOLLOWED BY COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER. THE PIC LANDED SHORT OF THE RUNWAY TOUCHING DOWN ON THE NORTH SIDE OF HIGHWAY 16, SLIDING ACROSS THE HIGHWAY AND COMING TO REST IN A DITCH ADJACENT TO THE AIRPORT PROPERTY. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER EXITED THE AIRCRAFT WITHOUT INJURY. THE AIRCRAFT SUFFERED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE NOSE AND LOWER COWL, NOSE LANDING GEAR, PROPELLER, BOTH WINGS AND THE TAIL TIE-DOWN AREA.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N4217S · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.