What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
At 0715 LCL, on September 26, 2011, N2047 departed buckeye AZ (bxk) enroute to santa teresa NM (5T6). During level cruise at 9500' MSL and approximately 10 nautical miles south of safford AZ (sad), the engine began to run rough and started "popping and backfiring". The pilot switched fuel tanks, then adjusted mixture, then adjusted throttle, and then applied alternate air/carb heat. All had no affect on the deteriorating performance of the engine. The pilot stated that the low fuel pressure light did not illuminate. The pilot attempted to make it to sad but due to continued deterioration of engine performance, was forced to make an intentional gear-up landing in a cotton field in Thatcher AZ at 0850 LCL. The aircraft sustained minor damage, mostly to the engine cowling and other non-structural components including a mock bomb attached to the belly of the aircraft. Both blades of the two bladed prop were bent aft and some minor damage was caused to the engine by the engine cowling collapsing in on it. The aircraft is owned/operated by the American airpower heritage flying museum, a.k.a. the commemorative air force. The director of maintenance and quality assurance was at the scene and stated that a fuel sample was taken and no contamination was present. During the on-scene investigation by the FAA, it was observed that the right fuel tank contained 20 gallons of fuel and the left fuel tank was at the "reserve" level. The owner/operator will replace the engine and prop and send the engine and all engine driven accessories out for overhaul/repair. Any findings during the teardown of the engine accessories, fuel pump, carburetor etc. Will be provided to this inspector.10/26/2011 - director of maintenance and quality assurance, james woodford, contacted this office and informed us that the engine had been sent to covington a/c engines for tear-down and inspection. It was found that the #7 exhaust push rod had failed and that this had caused the induction system to become charged with exhaust gases, causing the engine to lose power and quit running.
As the FAA filed it
AT 0715 LCL, ON SEPTEMBER 26, 2011, N2047 DEPARTED BUCKEYE AZ (BXK) ENROUTE TO SANTA TERESA NM (5T6). DURING LEVEL CRUISE AT 9500' MSL AND APPROXIMATELY 10 NAUTICAL MILES SOUTH OF SAFFORD AZ (SAD), THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH AND STARTED "POPPING AND BACKFIRING". THE PILOT SWITCHED FUEL TANKS, THEN ADJUSTED MIXTURE, THEN ADJUSTED THROTTLE, AND THEN APPLIED ALTERNATE AIR/CARB HEAT. ALL HAD NO AFFECT ON THE DETERIORATING PERFORMANCE OF THE ENGINE. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE LOW FUEL PRESSURE LIGHT DID NOT ILLUMINATE. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO MAKE IT TO SAD BUT DUE TO CONTINUED DETERIORATION OF ENGINE PERFORMANCE, WAS FORCED TO MAKE AN INTENTIONAL GEAR-UP LANDING IN A COTTON FIELD IN THATCHER AZ AT 0850 LCL. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE, MOSTLY TO THE ENGINE COWLING AND OTHER NON-STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS INCLUDING A MOCK BOMB ATTACHED TO THE BELLY OF THE AIRCRAFT. BOTH BLADES OF THE TWO BLADED PROP WERE BENT AFT AND SOME MINOR DAMAGE WAS CAUSED TO THE ENGINE BY THE ENGINE COWLING COLLAPSING IN ON IT. THE AIRCRAFT IS OWNED/OPERATED BY THE AMERICAN AIRPOWER HERITAGE FLYING MUSEUM, A.K.A. THE COMMEMORATIVE AIR FORCE. THE DIRECTOR OF MAINTENANCE AND QUALITY ASSURANCE WAS AT THE SCENE AND STATED THAT A FUEL SAMPLE WAS TAKEN AND NO CONTAMINATION WAS PRESENT. DURING THE ON-SCENE INVESTIGATION BY THE FAA, IT WAS OBSERVED THAT THE RIGHT FUEL TANK CONTAINED 20 GALLONS OF FUEL AND THE LEFT FUEL TANK WAS AT THE "RESERVE" LEVEL. THE OWNER/OPERATOR WILL REPLACE THE ENGINE AND PROP AND SEND THE ENGINE AND ALL ENGINE DRIVEN ACCESSORIES OUT FOR OVERHAUL/REPAIR. ANY FINDINGS DURING THE TEARDOWN OF THE ENGINE ACCESSORIES, FUEL PUMP, CARBURETOR ETC. WILL BE PROVIDED TO THIS INSPECTOR.10/26/2011 - DIRECTOR OF MAINTENANCE AND QUALITY ASSURANCE, JAMES WOODFORD, CONTACTED THIS OFFICE AND INFORMED US THAT THE ENGINE HAD BEEN SENT TO COVINGTON A/C ENGINES FOR TEAR-DOWN AND INSPECTION. IT WAS FOUND THAT THE #7 EXHAUST PUSH ROD HAD FAILED AND THAT THIS HAD CAUSED THE INDUCTION SYSTEM TO BECOME CHARGED WITH EXHAUST GASES, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO LOSE POWER AND QUIT RUNNING.
Other reports on N2047 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.