20020906029199I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-28-140 · Oley, PA · September 6, 2002

Date: September 6, 2002 · 19:30 local
Place: Oley, PA
Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N3981K
Reported as: Piper PA28140
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,880 total325 in this make and model6 in the last 90 days

N3981KRegistered now · Piper PA-28-140S/N 28-23869 · Built 1967 Airframe modelPiper PA-28-140 Engine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) Pilot stated that the engine began running rough and he decided to apply carburetor heat. Engine quit running at this point. During restart attempts, which were unsuccessful, a forced landing was made in a soybean field. After securing the aircraft at a nearby private airport, the engine ran successfully without any difficulty. Prior to engine run, fiberglass insulation was found in the ducting from the carburetor heat muff to the carburetor. The insulation did not appear to be sucked into the carburetor. Signs of rodent activity were present in the cabin of the aircraft.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT STATED THAT THE ENGINE BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH AND HE DECIDED TO APPLY CARBURETOR HEAT. ENGINE QUIT RUNNING AT THIS POINT. DURING RESTART ATTEMPTS, WHICH WERE UNSUCCESSFUL, A FORCED LANDING WAS MADE IN A SOYBEAN FIELD. AFTER SECURING THE AIRCRAFT AT A NEARBY PRIVATE AIRPORT, THE ENGINE RAN SUCCESSFULLY WITHOUT ANY DIFFICULTY. PRIOR TO ENGINE RUN, FIBERGLASS INSULATION WAS FOUND IN THE DUCTING FROM THE CARBURETOR HEAT MUFF TO THE CARBURETOR. THE INSULATION DID NOT APPEAR TO BE SUCKED INTO THE CARBURETOR. SIGNS OF RODENT ACTIVITY WERE PRESENT IN THE CABIN OF THE AIRCRAFT.