What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The aircraft departed Brown County Airport (kgeo) on 8/4/2016 at approximately 7:30 p.m. EDT. Prior to departure the pilot fueled the aircraft with M94. The pilot flew to the north for 9NM and began circling his father?s house at 1,500 AGL. Suddenly the engine power went to idle. The pilot checked to make sure he had not bumped the idle control with his left knee, and attempted to increase engine RPM to no avail. He chose a grassy field to land in. At touchdown the speed was a little high and the field was rough, so when the pilot pulled back on the stick to slow down, he became airborne again. While airborne the left wing struck a small stand of trees causing the aircraft to spin around 360 degrees then striking the ground and coming to a stop.
The aircraft suffered substantial damage to the left wing, right landing gear, right wing strut, propeller, and the tail wheel. The aircraft is being moved to the pilot's hangar located at his home.
Fuel samples from the airport were tested and no contaminates were found.
Post accident inspection of the aircraft found the throttle linkage disconnected from the arm of the carburator. Pilot did indicate that the throttle lever felt disconnected before crash. He stated that there was little resistance to the throttle when actuated. The connecting hardware for the throttle linkage was not found in the engine compartment. The lower engine cowling has a large gap for engine cooling. Any detached hardware would have exited the aircraft engine compartment through this opening.
(Reviewed by flm bam on 8/31/16)
As the FAA filed it
THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED BROWN COUNTY AIRPORT (KGEO) ON 8/4/2016 AT APPROXIMATELY 7:30 P.M. EDT. PRIOR TO DEPARTURE THE PILOT FUELED THE AIRCRAFT WITH M94. THE PILOT FLEW TO THE NORTH FOR 9NM AND BEGAN CIRCLING HIS FATHER?S HOUSE AT 1,500 AGL. SUDDENLY THE ENGINE POWER WENT TO IDLE. THE PILOT CHECKED TO MAKE SURE HE HAD NOT BUMPED THE IDLE CONTROL WITH HIS LEFT KNEE, AND ATTEMPTED TO INCREASE ENGINE RPM TO NO AVAIL. HE CHOSE A GRASSY FIELD TO LAND IN. AT TOUCHDOWN THE SPEED WAS A LITTLE HIGH AND THE FIELD WAS ROUGH, SO WHEN THE PILOT PULLED BACK ON THE STICK TO SLOW DOWN, HE BECAME AIRBORNE AGAIN. WHILE AIRBORNE THE LEFT WING STRUCK A SMALL STAND OF TREES CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO SPIN AROUND 360 DEGREES THEN STRIKING THE GROUND AND COMING TO A STOP.
THE AIRCRAFT SUFFERED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING, RIGHT LANDING GEAR, RIGHT WING STRUT, PROPELLER, AND THE TAIL WHEEL. THE AIRCRAFT IS BEING MOVED TO THE PILOT'S HANGAR LOCATED AT HIS HOME.
FUEL SAMPLES FROM THE AIRPORT WERE TESTED AND NO CONTAMINATES WERE FOUND.
POST ACCIDENT INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT FOUND THE THROTTLE LINKAGE DISCONNECTED FROM THE ARM OF THE CARBURATOR. PILOT DID INDICATE THAT THE THROTTLE LEVER FELT DISCONNECTED BEFORE CRASH. HE STATED THAT THERE WAS LITTLE RESISTANCE TO THE THROTTLE WHEN ACTUATED. THE CONNECTING HARDWARE FOR THE THROTTLE LINKAGE WAS NOT FOUND IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE LOWER ENGINE COWLING HAS A LARGE GAP FOR ENGINE COOLING. ANY DETACHED HARDWARE WOULD HAVE EXITED THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE COMPARTMENT THROUGH THIS OPENING.
(REVIEWED BY FLM BAM ON 8/31/16)
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.