What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 4 April 2016 at approximently 1953Z an experimental amateur built "Ginny B" aircraft, N349E made a forced landing in a wheat field in south harrision township, NJ. Pilot stated he lost power in cruise during a "test flight". Aircraft flipped after encountering soft ground in field during rollout. Local fire company removed pilot from aircraft and righted it, then towed it to the edge of the road at the pilots request. FAA inspectors traveled to aircraft on 4 April 2016 at approximently 1200Z . Aircraft had damage to rudder, lift struts, windshield, engine, propeller and twisting damage to the left main wing structure. Marvel schebler carburetor was broken off manifold of the O-200 engine, and hanging by fuel line. One blade of propeller was slightly bent, showing scrapes consistent with being stationary at the time of impact. The propeller bolts were safetied incorrectly. Left fuel tank was empty, right tank contained an indeterminate amount of auto fuel. Both fuel valves appeared to be in the closed position. Magneto switch was in the both position. Overall condition of aircraft was poor, with numerous disconnected and unused wires, tubes, switches, instruments, hoses and numerous inspection panels missing. Cockpit and cabin were filled with trash and loose items. In discussion with pilot, he felt his fuel system design may have contributed to the loss of power and was planning on redesigning system after recovering aircraft from field. He stated he had overhauled the engine with new cylinders and installed engine in the aircraft. He stated he overhauled the carburetor and installed it on engine. Pilot said he inspected the magnetos to verifiy operation. He said the aircraft was operated as an "experimental light sport". He stated fresh auto gas containing ethanol was the fuel used during the accident flight. When asked if the components of his fuel system were ethanol compatible, he said yes. When asked if the parts he used during the carburetor overhaul were ethanol compatible he said they were standard aircraft components that were not designed for ethanol. He states he did not test the parts for ethanol compatibility because he did not anticipate continuing use of ethanol fuels.
As the FAA filed it
ON 4 APRIL 2016 AT APPROXIMENTLY 1953Z AN EXPERIMENTAL AMATEUR BUILT "GINNY B" AIRCRAFT, N349E MADE A FORCED LANDING IN A WHEAT FIELD IN SOUTH HARRISION TOWNSHIP, NJ. PILOT STATED HE LOST POWER IN CRUISE DURING A "TEST FLIGHT". AIRCRAFT FLIPPED AFTER ENCOUNTERING SOFT GROUND IN FIELD DURING ROLLOUT. LOCAL FIRE COMPANY REMOVED PILOT FROM AIRCRAFT AND RIGHTED IT, THEN TOWED IT TO THE EDGE OF THE ROAD AT THE PILOTS REQUEST. FAA INSPECTORS TRAVELED TO AIRCRAFT ON 4 APRIL 2016 AT APPROXIMENTLY 1200Z . AIRCRAFT HAD DAMAGE TO RUDDER, LIFT STRUTS, WINDSHIELD, ENGINE, PROPELLER AND TWISTING DAMAGE TO THE LEFT MAIN WING STRUCTURE. MARVEL SCHEBLER CARBURETOR WAS BROKEN OFF MANIFOLD OF THE O-200 ENGINE, AND HANGING BY FUEL LINE. ONE BLADE OF PROPELLER WAS SLIGHTLY BENT, SHOWING SCRAPES CONSISTENT WITH BEING STATIONARY AT THE TIME OF IMPACT. THE PROPELLER BOLTS WERE SAFETIED INCORRECTLY. LEFT FUEL TANK WAS EMPTY, RIGHT TANK CONTAINED AN INDETERMINATE AMOUNT OF AUTO FUEL. BOTH FUEL VALVES APPEARED TO BE IN THE CLOSED POSITION. MAGNETO SWITCH WAS IN THE BOTH POSITION. OVERALL CONDITION OF AIRCRAFT WAS POOR, WITH NUMEROUS DISCONNECTED AND UNUSED WIRES, TUBES, SWITCHES, INSTRUMENTS, HOSES AND NUMEROUS INSPECTION PANELS MISSING. COCKPIT AND CABIN WERE FILLED WITH TRASH AND LOOSE ITEMS. IN DISCUSSION WITH PILOT, HE FELT HIS FUEL SYSTEM DESIGN MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE LOSS OF POWER AND WAS PLANNING ON REDESIGNING SYSTEM AFTER RECOVERING AIRCRAFT FROM FIELD. HE STATED HE HAD OVERHAULED THE ENGINE WITH NEW CYLINDERS AND INSTALLED ENGINE IN THE AIRCRAFT. HE STATED HE OVERHAULED THE CARBURETOR AND INSTALLED IT ON ENGINE. PILOT SAID HE INSPECTED THE MAGNETOS TO VERIFIY OPERATION. HE SAID THE AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATED AS AN "EXPERIMENTAL LIGHT SPORT". HE STATED FRESH AUTO GAS CONTAINING ETHANOL WAS THE FUEL USED DURING THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT. WHEN ASKED IF THE COMPONENTS OF HIS FUEL SYSTEM WERE ETHANOL COMPATIBLE, HE SAID YES. WHEN ASKED IF THE PARTS HE USED DURING THE CARBURETOR OVERHAUL WERE ETHANOL COMPATIBLE HE SAID THEY WERE STANDARD AIRCRAFT COMPONENTS THAT WERE NOT DESIGNED FOR ETHANOL. HE STATES HE DID NOT TEST THE PARTS FOR ETHANOL COMPATIBILITY BECAUSE HE DID NOT ANTICIPATE CONTINUING USE OF ETHANOL FUELS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N349E · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.