20140819014809A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Aircraft · Frontenac, MN · August 19, 2014

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal NTSB investigation search

Date: August 19, 2014 · 20:30 local
Place: Frontenac, MN
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: NONE
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Pilot departed the Frontenac, MN airport (private) for a pleasure flight in a quicksilver 2S. Because it was becoming dark, he did not plan on being airborne long and estimated he had about 30 minutes of fuel on board.

Nearing the end of the flight, then engine quit running. The pilot believed he may be out of fuel and tried priming the engine. When he primed the engine, it sputtered and then quit again. Because he could not simultaneously prime the engine and fly the aircraft, he opted to make an emergency landing in a mature corn field.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT DEPARTED THE FRONTENAC, MN AIRPORT (PRIVATE) FOR A PLEASURE FLIGHT IN A QUICKSILVER 2S. BECAUSE IT WAS BECOMING DARK, HE DID NOT PLAN ON BEING AIRBORNE LONG AND ESTIMATED HE HAD ABOUT 30 MINUTES OF FUEL ON BOARD.

NEARING THE END OF THE FLIGHT, THEN ENGINE QUIT RUNNING. THE PILOT BELIEVED HE MAY BE OUT OF FUEL AND TRIED PRIMING THE ENGINE. WHEN HE PRIMED THE ENGINE, IT SPUTTERED AND THEN QUIT AGAIN. BECAUSE HE COULD NOT SIMULTANEOUSLY PRIME THE ENGINE AND FLY THE AIRCRAFT, HE OPTED TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A MATURE CORN FIELD.