What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Aircraft departed marks, MS (mms) for Hernando, MS (H75). Pilot reported engine hard to start at mms, had to prime warm engine five times. Engine lost power enroute engine was restarted and flight continued. The engine lost power again and stopped over arkabutla lake. Engine restart was not successful. Pilot returned to a cottonfield where an off-field landing was made. The right main gear and right wing received substantial damage. In March and July fuel line blockage was found and removed. No fuel line contamination was found post accident but carburetor teardown revealed substantial rust in carburetor. (.19) on August 27, 2002, about 1520, central daylight time, a Piper PA-24-250, N120S, registered to and operated by a private individual as a title 14 CFR part 91 personal flight, lost engine power while in cruise flight, and the pilot landed the airplane in a field about 8 miles southwest of Hernando, Mississippi. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The commercial-rated pilot and one passenger were not injured, and the airplane incurred substantial damage. The flight originated fr om marks, Mississippi, the same day, about 1300. The pilot stated that the airplane was in cruise flight at an altitude of about 3,000 feet, and he was operating the engine at 2,300 RPM and 23 inches hg, with an airspeed of about 140 knots, en route to Hernando, Mississippi, when all of a sudden the engine ceased operating. He said that the airspeed decreased and the propeller kept wind milling, so he verified that he had been operating the airplane obtaining fuel from the right fuel tank, turned on the boost pump, and the engine started operating again. He said he had a very low quantity of fuel in the left tank, about 4 or 5 gallons, but had more fuel in the right tank, and he was about half way between his departure and destination points, so he decided to continue on to his destination. He said he flew on for about 20 minutes before the engine ceased operating again, and that it happened as he descended to 1,700 feet, approaching the memphis class b airspace. At this time the engine again ceased operating again for a second time, he said he was over a lake, so he elected to perform a 180-degree turn and get to a position over land. He said he could not get the engine to operateso he executed a forced landing to a cotton field, and during the landing the right wing and right main gear were damaged.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AIRCRAFT DEPARTED MARKS, MS (MMS) FOR HERNANDO, MS (H75). PILOT REPORTED ENGINE HARD TO START AT MMS, HAD TO PRIME WARM ENGINE FIVE TIMES. ENGINE LOST POWER ENROUTE ENGINE WAS RESTARTED AND FLIGHT CONTINUED. THE ENGINE LOST POWER AGAIN AND STOPPED OVER ARKABUTLA LAKE. ENGINE RESTART WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL. PILOT RETURNED TO A COTTONFIELD WHERE AN OFF-FIELD LANDING WAS MADE. THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR AND RIGHT WING RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. IN MARCH AND JULY FUEL LINE BLOCKAGE WAS FOUND AND REMOVED. NO FUEL LINE CONTAMINATION WAS FOUND POST ACCIDENT BUT CARBURETOR TEARDOWN REVEALED SUBSTANTIAL RUST IN CARBURETOR. (.19) ON AUGUST 27, 2002, ABOUT 1520, CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-24-250, N120S, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL AS A TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT, LOST ENGINE POWER WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT, AND THE PILOT LANDED THE AIRPLANE IN A FIELD ABOUT 8 MILES SOUTHWEST OF HERNANDO, MISSISSIPPI. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE COMMERCIAL-RATED PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED, AND THE AIRPLANE INCURRED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FR OM MARKS, MISSISSIPPI, THE SAME DAY, ABOUT 1300. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT AN ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 3,000 FEET, AND HE WAS OPERATING THE ENGINE AT 2,300 RPM AND 23 INCHES HG, WITH AN AIRSPEED OF ABOUT 140 KNOTS, EN ROUTE TO HERNANDO, MISSISSIPPI, WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE ENGINE CEASED OPERATING. HE SAID THAT THE AIRSPEED DECREASED AND THE PROPELLER KEPT WIND MILLING, SO HE VERIFIED THAT HE HAD BEEN OPERATING THE AIRPLANE OBTAINING FUEL FROM THE RIGHT FUEL TANK, TURNED ON THE BOOST PUMP, AND THE ENGINE STARTED OPERATING AGAIN. HE SAID HE HAD A VERY LOW QUANTITY OF FUEL IN THE LEFT TANK, ABOUT 4 OR 5 GALLONS, BUT HAD MORE FUEL IN THE RIGHT TANK, AND HE WAS ABOUT HALF WAY BETWEEN HIS DEPARTURE AND DESTINATION POINTS, SO HE DECIDED TO CONTINUE ON TO HIS DESTINATION. HE SAID HE FLEW ON FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES BEFORE THE ENGINE CEASED OPERATING AGAIN, AND THAT IT HAPPENED AS HE DESCENDED TO 1,700 FEET, APPROACHING THE MEMPHIS CLASS B AIRSPACE. AT THIS TIME THE ENGINE AGAIN CEASED OPERATING AGAIN FOR A SECOND TIME, HE SAID HE WAS OVER A LAKE, SO HE ELECTED TO PERFORM A 180-DEGREE TURN AND GET TO A POSITION OVER LAND. HE SAID HE COULD NOT GET THE ENGINE TO OPERATESO HE EXECUTED A FORCED LANDING TO A COTTON FIELD, AND DURING THE LANDING THE RIGHT WING AND RIGHT MAIN GEAR WERE DAMAGED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.