20170703012299I

Incident · No damage

FAA incident report · Beech 77 · Fort Meade, FL · July 3, 2017

Date: July 3, 2017 · 09:40 local
Place: Fort Meade, FL
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: No damage
Aircraft: N18328
Reported as: Beech 77
Reported engine: Lycoming 0-235 series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,364 total219 in this make and model143 in the last 90 days

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.

While conducting pipeline patrol operations at 500' AGL the pilot experienced a loss of engine power. The first drop in power was from 2400 T0 2100 rpms, then a slight increase and then back down to 2100. By the time the pilot completed the loss of engine power check list the rpms had droped to 1800. Due to the low engine rpms the pilot was unable to maintain altitude and decided to make an emergency landing in a field previously observed. Contact was made with bartow municipal airport (kbow) at approximately 300' AGL to inform them of the situation. Shortly thereafter the pilot landed in a field on a dirt road. The aircraft sustained no damage.

As the FAA filed it

WHILE CONDUCTING PIPELINE PATROL OPERATIONS AT 500' AGL THE PILOT EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE FIRST DROP IN POWER WAS FROM 2400 T0 2100 RPMS, THEN A SLIGHT INCREASE AND THEN BACK DOWN TO 2100. BY THE TIME THE PILOT COMPLETED THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER CHECK LIST THE RPMS HAD DROPED TO 1800. DUE TO THE LOW ENGINE RPMS THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE AND DECIDED TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A FIELD PREVIOUSLY OBSERVED. CONTACT WAS MADE WITH BARTOW MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (KBOW) AT APPROXIMATELY 300' AGL TO INFORM THEM OF THE SITUATION. SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE PILOT LANDED IN A FIELD ON A DIRT ROAD. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED NO DAMAGE.