What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On March 5, 2017 at approximately 14:35 EST, aircraft registration N81447, serial number 7AC-65 was on final approach to runway 8 at Orange County Airport (kmgj), when the aircraft experienced engine trouble. The pilot was forced to make an emergency field landing directly across the street from privacy data omitted which is approximately 1 mile from the airport.
According to the pilot, he and his wife, privacy data omitted, had purchased the aircraft on the morning of the incident from privacy data omitted in reedsville pa (krvl). He states that he and his wife were piloting the aircraft back to saratoga new york (5B2). He states that they departed around 13:30 and were first headed to Orange County Airport for a re-fuel. He stated they arrived in the airport airspace at around 14:30. He stated he planned to land on runway 8 and he had a clear view of the runway. When he was preparing to land, he reduced the throttle , which made the engine sputter. He stated he gave the engine more throttle, which only helped a second. Then the engine stopped. He states he found a field to the right of the plane and lined it up for an emergency landing. He states he landed the plane with no damages or injuries.
On March 6, 2017, inspectors from teterboro FSDO traveled to the site of the incident to perform an inspection of the aircraft to determine the extent of damage and/or contributing factors for incident. The aircraft does not appear to have sustained any damage caused by the emergency landing. However, the inspection did reveal the following discrepancies: the fuel indicator appeared to be indicating zero. The crankcase assembly was leaking oil. The carburetor was leaking. The fuel tank had less than an inch of visible fuel. The oil dipstick and tube appear to have rust on them. The airworthiness ceritificate and aircraft registration were missing.
On March 14, 2017, a review of the aircraft logbook entries revealed that an annual inspection was performed on 2/1/2017. A crack on the engine cranckcase was also repaired by the replacement of the crankcase on this date.
On March 17, 2017,privacy data omitted, 3424071, a certificated aircraft mechanic tasked to recover the aircraft informed the office that he had drained the fuel and found about 1/2 gallon of fuel that appeared to be clean. He states that the aircraft fuel would drain from the gascolator/fuel strainer in a 3 point attitude (tail resting on the ground)but not in a level attitude.
As the FAA filed it
ON MARCH 5, 2017 AT APPROXIMATELY 14:35 EST, AIRCRAFT REGISTRATION N81447, SERIAL NUMBER 7AC-65 WAS ON FINAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 8 AT ORANGE COUNTY AIRPORT (KMGJ), WHEN THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED ENGINE TROUBLE. THE PILOT WAS FORCED TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY FIELD LANDING DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET FROM ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE FROM THE AIRPORT.
ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE AND HIS WIFE, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, HAD PURCHASED THE AIRCRAFT ON THE MORNING OF THE INCIDENT FROM ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ IN REEDSVILLE PA (KRVL). HE STATES THAT HE AND HIS WIFE WERE PILOTING THE AIRCRAFT BACK TO SARATOGA NEW YORK (5B2). HE STATES THAT THEY DEPARTED AROUND 13:30 AND WERE FIRST HEADED TO ORANGE COUNTY AIRPORT FOR A RE-FUEL. HE STATED THEY ARRIVED IN THE AIRPORT AIRSPACE AT AROUND 14:30. HE STATED HE PLANNED TO LAND ON RUNWAY 8 AND HE HAD A CLEAR VIEW OF THE RUNWAY. WHEN HE WAS PREPARING TO LAND, HE REDUCED THE THROTTLE , WHICH MADE THE ENGINE SPUTTER. HE STATED HE GAVE THE ENGINE MORE THROTTLE, WHICH ONLY HELPED A SECOND. THEN THE ENGINE STOPPED. HE STATES HE FOUND A FIELD TO THE RIGHT OF THE PLANE AND LINED IT UP FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING. HE STATES HE LANDED THE PLANE WITH NO DAMAGES OR INJURIES.
ON MARCH 6, 2017, INSPECTORS FROM TETERBORO FSDO TRAVELED TO THE SITE OF THE INCIDENT TO PERFORM AN INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT TO DETERMINE THE EXTENT OF DAMAGE AND/OR CONTRIBUTING FACTORS FOR INCIDENT. THE AIRCRAFT DOES NOT APPEAR TO HAVE SUSTAINED ANY DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE EMERGENCY LANDING. HOWEVER, THE INSPECTION DID REVEAL THE FOLLOWING DISCREPANCIES: THE FUEL INDICATOR APPEARED TO BE INDICATING ZERO. THE CRANKCASE ASSEMBLY WAS LEAKING OIL. THE CARBURETOR WAS LEAKING. THE FUEL TANK HAD LESS THAN AN INCH OF VISIBLE FUEL.THE OIL DIPSTICK AND TUBE APPEAR TO HAVE RUST ON THEM. THE AIRWORTHINESS CERITIFICATE AND AIRCRAFT REGISTRATION WERE MISSING.
ON MARCH 14, 2017, A REVIEW OF THE AIRCRAFT LOGBOOK ENTRIES REVEALED THAT AN ANNUAL INSPECTION WAS PERFORMED ON 2/1/2017. A CRACK ON THE ENGINE CRANCKCASE WAS ALSO REPAIRED BY THE REPLACEMENT OF THE CRANKCASE ON THIS DATE.
ON MARCH 17, 2017,^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, 3424071, A CERTIFICATED AIRCRAFT MECHANIC TASKED TO RECOVER THE AIRCRAFT INFORMED THE OFFICE THAT HE HAD DRAINED THE FUEL AND FOUND ABOUT 1/2 GALLON OF FUEL THAT APPEARED TO BE CLEAN. HE STATES THAT THE AIRCRAFT FUEL WOULD DRAIN FROM THE GASCOLATOR/FUEL STRAINER IN A 3 POINT ATTITUDE (TAIL RESTING ON THE GROUND)BUT NOT IN A LEVEL ATTITUDE.