What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot privacy data omitted and two passengers were en-route to van wert, Ohio cruising at an altitude of 5500 feet and were approximately 33 statute miles southwest of fort wayne international airport (fwa). At this time, the pilot had been in contact with fort wayne ATC.
At approximately 0910 CDT, the pilot noticed a change in the aircraft engine sound and observed the tachometer was up about 100 RPM over the setting he was using. He adjusted the prop back down to 2450 RPM but before he could move his hand from the prop control the RPM increased sharply to over 3500 on the tachometer. The pilot pulled the prop control back it was still over speeding, he then pulled the throttle back to idle, no change, so he pulled the mixture back. There was no change in the tachometer indication and was now feeling vibration.
The pilot then called fwa ATC and declared an emergency asking for the nearest airport. Fwa informed the pilot that wabash municipal airport was about 15 to 18 miles away. The pilot turned south in the direction of the airport when oil started covering the windshield and side windows. At this time the pilot recalled the aircraft was vibrating through the airframe and still over speeding. Shortly thereafter the aircraft quit vibrating. It was at this time the pilot surmized that the propeller had separated from the aircraft engine.
He realized that he was not going to make the airport so he started to look for alternative places to land. As he approached Urbana Indiana he saw a wheat field but decided he was too high (2500 ft.) to land, he continued along the edge of the field to possibly land in the opposite direction. As he started to turn he realized he was not going to be able to make the hay field, looking through the open side vent window he made the decision to land straight head in a bean field.
There was a row of smaller trees directly in front of him, trying to avoid those trees he flared the aircraft, after clearing the line of trees he nosed the aircraft down and then immediately flared to land. The aircraft hit hard on the main landing gear. The aircraft slid sideways approximately 75 feet before coming to rest. The right main gear sheared off and the nose landing gear folded up underneath the aircraft pushing the firewall in along with the rudder pedals. The engine had torn loose from the motor mounts and was held in place by wiring and cables. There was a small post-crash fire possibly caused by some oil landing on the exhaust manifold which extinguished quickly.
The pilot and passengers evacuated the aircraft. The passenger in the rear seat needed assistance in exiting the aircraft. He was taken to parkview hospital in fort wayne, Indiana for diagnosis and treatment. The pilot sustained minor bruising and cuts but refused treatment. The passenger in the right seat was not injured.
The aircraft sustained substantial damage. The prop is still unaccounted for at this time.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND TWO PASSENGERS WERE EN-ROUTE TO VAN WERT, OHIO CRUISING AT AN ALTITUDE OF 5500 FEET AND WERE APPROXIMATELY 33 STATUTE MILES SOUTHWEST OF FORT WAYNE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (FWA). AT THIS TIME, THE PILOT HAD BEEN IN CONTACT WITH FORT WAYNE ATC.
AT APPROXIMATELY 0910 CDT, THE PILOT NOTICED A CHANGE IN THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE SOUND AND OBSERVED THE TACHOMETER WAS UP ABOUT 100 RPM OVER THE SETTING HE WAS USING. HE ADJUSTED THE PROP BACK DOWN TO 2450 RPM BUT BEFORE HE COULD MOVE HIS HAND FROM THE PROP CONTROL THE RPM INCREASED SHARPLY TO OVER 3500 ON THE TACHOMETER. THE PILOT PULLED THE PROP CONTROL BACK IT WAS STILL OVER SPEEDING, HE THEN PULLED THE THROTTLE BACK TO IDLE, NO CHANGE, SO HE PULLED THE MIXTURE BACK. THERE WAS NO CHANGE IN THE TACHOMETER INDICATION AND WAS NOW FEELING VIBRATION.
THE PILOT THEN CALLED FWA ATC AND DECLARED AN EMERGENCY ASKING FOR THE NEAREST AIRPORT. FWA INFORMED THE PILOT THAT WABASH MUNICIPAL AIRPORT WAS ABOUT 15 TO 18 MILES AWAY. THE PILOT TURNED SOUTH IN THE DIRECTION OF THE AIRPORT WHEN OIL STARTED COVERING THE WINDSHIELD AND SIDE WINDOWS. AT THIS TIME THE PILOT RECALLED THE AIRCRAFT WAS VIBRATING THROUGH THE AIRFRAME AND STILL OVER SPEEDING. SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE AIRCRAFT QUIT VIBRATING. IT WAS AT THIS TIME THE PILOT SURMIZED THAT THE PROPELLER HAD SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE.
HE REALIZED THAT HE WAS NOT GOING TO MAKE THE AIRPORT SO HE STARTED TO LOOK FOR ALTERNATIVE PLACES TO LAND. AS HE APPROACHED URBANA INDIANA HE SAW A WHEAT FIELD BUT DECIDED HE WAS TOO HIGH (2500 FT.) TO LAND, HE CONTINUED ALONG THE EDGE OF THE FIELD TO POSSIBLY LAND IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. AS HE STARTED TO TURN HE REALIZED HE WAS NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THE HAY FIELD, LOOKING THROUGH THE OPEN SIDE VENT WINDOW HE MADE THE DECISION TO LAND STRAIGHT HEAD IN A BEAN FIELD.
THERE WAS A ROW OF SMALLER TREES DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF HIM, TRYING TO AVOID THOSE TREES HE FLARED THE AIRCRAFT, AFTER CLEARING THE LINE OF TREES HE NOSED THE AIRCRAFT DOWN AND THEN IMMEDIATELY FLARED TO LAND. THE AIRCRAFT HIT HARD ON THE MAIN LANDING GEAR. THE AIRCRAFT SLID SIDEWAYS APPROXIMATELY 75 FEET BEFORE COMING TO REST. THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR SHEARED OFF AND THE NOSE LANDING GEAR FOLDED UP UNDERNEATH THE AIRCRAFT PUSHING THE FIREWALL IN ALONG WITH THE RUDDER PEDALS. THE ENGINE HAD TORN LOOSE FROM THE MOTOR MOUNTS AND WAS HELD IN PLACE BY WIRING AND CABLES. THERE WAS A SMALL POST-CRASH FIRE POSSIBLY CAUSED BY SOME OIL LANDING ON THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD WHICH EXTINGUISHED QUICKLY.
THE PILOT AND PASSENGERS EVACUATED THE AIRCRAFT. THE PASSENGER IN THE REAR SEAT NEEDED ASSISTANCE IN EXITING THE AIRCRAFT. HE WAS TAKEN TO PARKVIEW HOSPITAL IN FORT WAYNE, INDIANA FOR DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT. THE PILOT SUSTAINED MINOR BRUISING AND CUTS BUT REFUSED TREATMENT. THE PASSENGER IN THE RIGHT SEAT WAS NOT INJURED.
THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PROP IS STILL UNACCOUNTED FOR AT THIS TIME.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.