20070808019909A

(-23) N1837Y PILOTED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DEPARTED BLOOMINGTON, IN (BMG) AIRPORT RUNWAY 17 TO THE NORTH, THEN TURNED TO THE WEST. AFTER ROLL OUT FROM THE TURN THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ NOTED THE FUEL INDICATED ON BOARD WAS LESS THAN HE REMEMBERED AS REPORTED IN THE INDIANA STATE POLICE REPORT. AFTER CHECKING THE FUEL THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CONTINUED WESTERLY AND ATTEMPTED THE APPROACH FOR LANDING ON RUNWAY 35. DURING DESCENT AT 1/2 MILE OUT THE ENGINE QUIT AND THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CALLED "MAY DAY...MAY DAY." AS THE ENGINE QUIT THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ LINED UP ON A GRASS FIELD ADJACENT TO THE AIRPORT. AFTER COMMITMENT TO THE PLACE OF LANDING THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ NOTICED A LARGE ROLL OF HAY IN HIS LINE OF FLIGHT. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SLIPPED TO THE LEFT AT WHICH TIME THE LEFT WING TIP CONTACTED THE PLANTED CORN. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CONTINUED TO SLIP LEFT UNTIL THE LEFT WING WAS IN THE CORN. ONCE THE FUSELAGE WAS OVER THE CORN FIELD AND CONTINUED TO DESCEND, THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST INVERTED IN THE FIELD. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ EXITED THE AIRPLANE AND WALKED TO THE AIRPORT TO CALL EMERGENCY AGENCIES. N1837Y: AS THE AIRPLANE CRASHED INVERTED, IT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. AS THE LEFT WING CONTACTED THE GROUND MAJOR DAMAGE WAS DONE INCLUDING SPAR DAMAGE TO BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT WING AS WELL AS THE VERTICAL SPAR. THE COCKPIT AND CABIN HAVE EXTENSIVE STRUCTURAL DAMAGE AS A RESULT OF THE INVERTED CRASH. DURING THE ON SCENE INVESTIGATION THE FOLLOWING WAS NOTED: ONE PROP BLADE WAS BENT BACK 45 DEGREES AT MID SPAR AND THE OTHER WAS BENT BACK 10 DEGREES AT MID SPAR, INDICATING THE ENGINE WAS NOT UNDER POWER AT THE POINT OF IMPACT. THE ENGINE OIL WAS AT PROPER LEVEL AND HAD BEEN CHANGED BY THE FBO THE DAY PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. ENGINE OIL WAS CLEAN, STICK INDICATED FULL AT 6 QUARTS. THE AIR FILTER WAS DIRTY BUT NOT CLOGGED, AIR BOX WAS CLEAR OF OBSTRUCTION. FUEL SYSTEM INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE FUEL USED IS CONSISTENT WITH AVIATION GRADE FUEL (COLOR). THE ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP CONTAINED SOME RESIDUAL FUEL (NOT FULL). NO FUEL IN THE LINE BETWEEN THE CARBURETOR AND FUEL PUMP. THE OUT LINE OF THE FUEL PUMP CONTAINED A SMALL AMOUNT OF FUEL. THE CARBURETOR BOWL CONTAINED 5 TO 10 DROPS OF FUEL;THE LEFT TANK CONTAINED NO FUEL AND HAD BLUE STAINS AROUND THE DRAIN. RIGHT WING TANK CONTAINED A CUP OF FUEL. WING TANK PLACARDS INDICATED .5 GALLON UNUSABLE FUEL IN EACH WING TANK. AIRPLANE DID NOT HAVE ADEQUATE FUEL ON BOARD TO SUSTAIN POWER. THERE WAS CONTINUITY BETWEEN PROP, ENGINE CRANK AND ACCESSORIES. COMPRESSION OF CYLINDERS WAS VERIFIED, AS WELL AS IGNITION SPARK. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, FLAPS WERE FULL UP AND ALL FLIGHT CONTROLS WERE VERIFIED FOR FULL TRAVEL AND CONTINUITY. POWER LEVER WAS FULL OPEN, AND MIXTURE CONTROL AND CARB HEAT WERE AT MID TRAVEL. STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO WING SPARS AND VERTICAL SPAR AS WELL AS SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO COCKPIT AND CABIN AREA.