What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) As N394BL descended through 2000', the pilot detected an abnormal engine sound and indication of low oil pressure. Within one minute, there was a loud sound, vibration, and loss of engine power. The pilot landed safely in a corn field and discovered smoke and flames coming from the engine cowl. He attempted to put the fire out with a small extinguisher but was unsuccessful. The aircraft was destroyed by fire. There was no evidence of any serious damage resulting from touchdown. The pilot and one passenger suffered no injuries. Two propeller blades and the lower cowl were recoverd approximately 2 miles from the landing site. Witnesses on the ground reported debris falling from the aircraft and smoke coming from its rear prior to landing. The third propeller blade was burned but remained attached to the hub. The right winglet appeared to have damage unrelated to the fire. The pilot stated that he had observed this damage during the landing approach. There was no evidence that the aircraft struck birds or any other object inflight. The experimental homebuilt aircraft has a canard configuration with a rear facing engine. (.19) on September 6, 2002, approximately 1200 pacific daylight time, a huene velocity xl-rg single-engine experimental airplane, N394BL, was destroyed during a forced landing near Fresno, California. The pilot and his passenger were not injured. The airplane was registered to anatarius inc., of wilmington, Delaware. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the 14 code of federal regulations part 91 personal flight, and a flight plan was not filed. The airplane departed the apple valley airport at 1100, and was destined for the skypark airport, Fresno. In a telephone interview with the NTSB investigator-in-charge, the pilot reported that while in cruise flight the engine began to lose oil pressure, followed by a "loud thud," a vibration, and a total loss of power. The pilot elected to make a forced landing in a vacant field. After landing and safely egressing the airplane, the pilot and his passenger noticed a fire coming from the rear portion of the airplane where the engine is located. An attempt to extinguish the fire proved unsuccessful, and the airplane was destroyed when it was consumed by fire.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AS N394BL DESCENDED THROUGH 2000', THE PILOT DETECTED AN ABNORMAL ENGINE SOUND AND INDICATION OF LOW OIL PRESSURE. WITHIN ONE MINUTE, THERE WAS A LOUD SOUND, VIBRATION, AND LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE PILOT LANDED SAFELY IN A CORN FIELD AND DISCOVERED SMOKE AND FLAMES COMING FROM THE ENGINE COWL. HE ATTEMPTED TO PUT THE FIRE OUT WITH A SMALL EXTINGUISHER BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED BY FIRE. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF ANY SERIOUS DAMAGE RESULTING FROM TOUCHDOWN. THE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER SUFFERED NO INJURIES. TWO PROPELLER BLADES AND THE LOWER COWL WERE RECOVERD APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES FROM THE LANDING SITE. WITNESSES ON THE GROUND REPORTED DEBRIS FALLING FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND SMOKE COMING FROM ITS REAR PRIOR TO LANDING. THE THIRD PROPELLER BLADE WAS BURNED BUT REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE HUB. THE RIGHT WINGLET APPEARED TO HAVE DAMAGE UNRELATED TO THE FIRE. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD OBSERVED THIS DAMAGE DURING THE LANDING APPROACH. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE THAT THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK BIRDS OR ANY OTHER OBJECT INFLIGHT. THE EXPERIMENTAL HOMEBUILT AIRCRAFT HAS A CANARD CONFIGURATION WITH A REAR FACING ENGINE. (.19) ON SEPTEMBER 6, 2002, APPROXIMATELY 1200 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A HUENE VELOCITY XL-RG SINGLE-ENGINE EXPERIMENTAL AIRPLANE, N394BL, WAS DESTROYED DURING A FORCED LANDING NEAR FRESNO, CALIFORNIA. THE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS REGISTERED TO ANATARIUS INC., OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT, AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED. THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED THE APPLE VALLEY AIRPORT AT 1100, AND WAS DESTINED FOR THE SKYPARK AIRPORT, FRESNO. IN A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW WITH THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT THE ENGINE BEGAN TO LOSE OIL PRESSURE, FOLLOWED BY A "LOUD THUD," A VIBRATION, AND A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER. THE PILOT ELECTED TO MAKE A FORCED LANDING IN A VACANT FIELD. AFTER LANDING AND SAFELY EGRESSING THE AIRPLANE, THE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER NOTICED A FIRE COMING FROM THE REAR PORTION OF THE AIRPLANE WHERE THE ENGINE IS LOCATED. AN ATTEMPT TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE PROVED UNSUCCESSFUL, AND THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT WAS CONSUMED BY FIRE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.