20090313020079A

Narrative for aircraft accident of N338WS at approximately 1827Z near shelby ville, IN, on March 13, 2009. The pilot was operating on a special ferry permit to reposition the aircraft from the Ohio state airport in columbus, Ohio, to the spirit of st. louis airport, IN st. louis, Missouri. The pilot, who had just completed a refueling stop at the Shelbyville, Indiana airport (gez), was in cruise flight at 4,500 feet. The pilot stated that he switched the left engine fuel source to its auxiliary (outboard) tank and the engine began to run rough and lose power. He returned the selector to the left main tank fuel source but the problem continued. He then attempted to feather the left propeller. Due to extremely stiff linkage, however, he was unable to move the prop control to the feather position. He turned back toward gez, but because of the increased drag of the windmilling left propeller, he determined that he would not make the airport and selected an emergency landing site in an open field. He set up an overhead precautionary landing approach to land to the east but decided to land north, parallel to the cultivation pattern. A witness who was walking on the county road that borders the field on the north stated that he observed the aircraft northbound overhead at approximately 500 feet in altitude. The witness also noted and extremely high noise level from the right engine and that the left propeller was turning very slowly. The aircraft then turned east and south, crossing the road in a southerly direction, losing more altitude and then disappeared behind some buildings after making another turn to the north. He lost sight of the aircraft at that point but estimated the altitude at less than 100 feet. He did hear a loud noise and assumed the aircraft had impacted the field. The aircraft impact was left wing low in a northwesterly track parallel to the furrows in the field. The pilot does not remember putting the landing gear down. However, the left main gear appears to have struck the ground first. It was found separately, approximaately 50 feet from the aircraft. The right main gear and nose gear were still attached to the aircraft. The left main landing gear striking the ground imparted a counter-clockwise rotational moment which caused the wreckage to face a heading of approximatley southwest. The total distance traveled was 105 feet on a 330-degree heading. The pilot does not remember the actual impact or exiting the aircraft, but the first responders reported that he was standing beside the aircraft on the wing when they arrived on scene. He sustained minor injuries and was transported to methodist hospital in indianapolis, Indiana. After overnight observation, including treatment and tests, he was released the next day. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.