What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On the date of the accident, the aircraft was en route from dallas, TX to oshkosh, WI. The engine began to run rough, and the pilot made the decision to divert to Monroe City, MO. As he began to divert, the engine began to perform worse. The pilot determined that he could not land at the airport, due to insufficient power being developed to sustain flight. He set up for controlled landing in a nearby soybean field and a hard landing occurred approximately 2 miles west of capt. ben Smith airfield. The aircraft remained upright and there was no post-flight fire. In the initial interview with the pilot, he expressed that conditions at the time of engine trouble were calm winds, high heat (97-100 degrees f), with high humidity. Examination of the aircraft revealed substantial damage as a result of the accident. The fixed landing gear was pushed back and outboard of their original position. The lower-aft left-hand and right-hand engine mount gusset welds were cracked, with substantial engine mount deformation. The firewall was crumpled and deformed at both left hand and right hand pilot foot positions. The propeller had made contact with the ground and both blades were bent aft. Fuel samples were taken from the left-hand wing tank, the right-hand wing tank, and the engine supply line. None of the fuel samples revealed contamination of any kind. An examination of the air carburetor inlet revealed no obstructions or obvious mechanical defects. The engine propeller was pulled through and it was verified that there was compression on all cylinders. No obvious mechanical issues were noted.
As the FAA filed it
ON THE DATE OF THE ACCIDENT, THE AIRCRAFT WAS EN ROUTE FROM DALLAS, TX TO OSHKOSH, WI. THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH, AND THE PILOT MADE THE DECISION TO DIVERT TO MONROE CITY, MO. AS HE BEGAN TO DIVERT, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO PERFORM WORSE. THE PILOT DETERMINED THAT HE COULD NOT LAND AT THE AIRPORT, DUE TO INSUFFICIENT POWER BEING DEVELOPED TO SUSTAIN FLIGHT. HE SET UP FOR CONTROLLED LANDING IN A NEARBY SOYBEAN FIELD AND A HARD LANDING OCCURRED APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES WEST OF CAPT. BEN SMITH AIRFIELD. THE AIRCRAFT REMAINED UPRIGHT AND THERE WAS NO POST-FLIGHT FIRE.IN THE INITIAL INTERVIEW WITH THE PILOT, HE EXPRESSED THAT CONDITIONS AT THE TIME OF ENGINE TROUBLE WERE CALM WINDS, HIGH HEAT (97-100 DEGREES F), WITH HIGH HUMIDITY. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AS A RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT. THE FIXED LANDING GEAR WAS PUSHED BACK AND OUTBOARD OF THEIR ORIGINAL POSITION. THE LOWER-AFT LEFT-HAND AND RIGHT-HAND ENGINE MOUNT GUSSET WELDS WERE CRACKED, WITH SUBSTANTIAL ENGINE MOUNT DEFORMATION. THE FIREWALL WAS CRUMPLED AND DEFORMED AT BOTH LEFT HAND AND RIGHT HAND PILOT FOOT POSITIONS. THE PROPELLER HAD MADE CONTACT WITH THE GROUND AND BOTH BLADES WERE BENT AFT.FUEL SAMPLES WERE TAKEN FROM THE LEFT-HAND WING TANK, THE RIGHT-HAND WING TANK, AND THE ENGINE SUPPLY LINE. NONE OF THE FUEL SAMPLES REVEALED CONTAMINATION OF ANY KIND. AN EXAMINATION OF THE AIR CARBURETOR INLET REVEALED NO OBSTRUCTIONS OR OBVIOUS MECHANICAL DEFECTS. THE ENGINE PROPELLER WAS PULLED THROUGH AND IT WAS VERIFIED THAT THERE WAS COMPRESSION ON ALL CYLINDERS. NO OBVIOUS MECHANICAL ISSUES WERE NOTED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.