What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot stated that he, and 2 pax departed the family farm, landed at Algona Municipal Airport (axa), took on fuel and then departed for a sight-seeing flight in the area to look at their crops.
Pilot stated that the aircraft was running good out of Algona, but once he was heading toward his farm near St Joseph, Iowa, he noticed a drop in RPM and the engine running rough. Pilot decided to execute an emergency landing in a bean field sw of St Joseph in kossuth county, IA. Pilot and witnesses stated that after an uneventful landing the engine continued to run rough until pilot leaned his mixture setting, which kept the engine running well enough to taxi out of the bean field and onto a dirt path beyond the field; whereupon the pax exited the aircraft.
Pilot stated that his brother/family mechanic looked the engine over and determined that everything appeared normal. The mechanic stated that he pulled the prop through all cylinders and all felt normal. Additionally, the mechanic stated that he started the engine and it ran normally, and that he did a mag check, and cycled the prop ? All was acceptable. Further, the mechanic stated that he made full power with good manifold pressure of 35-36 at around 2100 RPM. The mechanic concluded and stated that carburetor ice must have been the problem.
The mechanic stated that he and the pilot discussed flying the aircraft out of the field and take it home. With the pilot at the controls and mechanic on the side step, they performed another engine power run and mag check ? No discrepancies were reported.
Pilot stated that he positioned the aircraft nw on the dirt path south of the bean field and began his takeoff roll. Pilot reported that the engine was running good and the aircraft was handling well. Witnesses on the ground reported that the engine sounded like it was running normal and making power. Additionally, the pilot and witnesses reported that the tail came up quickly; the aircraft lifted off; settled slightly; clipped a barbed-wire fence partially covered by tall grass, then cart-wheeled into a corn field, located in humboldt, county, Iowa.
Using a range finder, the distance plotted from the point the pilot initiated his takeoff roll to the point at which the aircraft collided with the barbed-wire fence, resulted in approximately 720 ft. roughly 170 ft. beyond the barbed-wire, lay the aircraft upside-down facing east.
Aircraft sustained substantial damage. Cockpit inspection revealed aircraft engine controls were set for takeoff.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT STATED THAT HE, AND 2 PAX DEPARTED THE FAMILY FARM, LANDED AT ALGONA MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (AXA), TOOK ON FUEL AND THEN DEPARTED FOR A SIGHT-SEEING FLIGHT IN THE AREA TO LOOK AT THEIR CROPS.
PILOT STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS RUNNING GOOD OUT OF ALGONA, BUT ONCE HE WAS HEADING TOWARD HIS FARM NEAR ST JOSEPH, IOWA, HE NOTICED A DROP IN RPM AND THE ENGINE RUNNING ROUGH. PILOT DECIDED TO EXECUTE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A BEAN FIELD SW OF ST JOSEPH IN KOSSUTH COUNTY, IA. PILOT AND WITNESSES STATED THAT AFTER AN UNEVENTFUL LANDING THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN ROUGH UNTIL PILOT LEANED HIS MIXTURE SETTING, WHICH KEPT THE ENGINE RUNNING WELL ENOUGH TO TAXI OUT OF THE BEAN FIELD AND ONTO A DIRT PATH BEYOND THE FIELD; WHEREUPON THE PAX EXITED THE AIRCRAFT.
PILOT STATED THAT HIS BROTHER/FAMILY MECHANIC LOOKED THE ENGINE OVER AND DETERMINED THAT EVERYTHING APPEARED NORMAL. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT HE PULLED THE PROP THROUGH ALL CYLINDERS AND ALL FELT NORMAL. ADDITIONALLY, THE MECHANIC STATED THAT HE STARTED THE ENGINE AND IT RAN NORMALLY, AND THAT HE DID A MAG CHECK, AND CYCLED THE PROP ? ALL WAS ACCEPTABLE. FURTHER, THE MECHANIC STATED THAT HE MADE FULL POWER WITH GOOD MANIFOLD PRESSURE OF 35-36 AT AROUND 2100 RPM. THE MECHANIC CONCLUDED AND STATED THAT CARBURETOR ICE MUST HAVE BEEN THE PROBLEM.
THE MECHANIC STATED THAT HE AND THE PILOT DISCUSSED FLYING THE AIRCRAFT OUT OF THE FIELD AND TAKE IT HOME. WITH THE PILOT AT THE CONTROLS AND MECHANIC ON THE SIDE STEP, THEY PERFORMED ANOTHER ENGINE POWER RUN AND MAG CHECK ? NO DISCREPANCIES WERE REPORTED.
PILOT STATED THAT HE POSITIONED THE AIRCRAFT NW ON THE DIRT PATH SOUTH OF THE BEAN FIELD AND BEGAN HIS TAKEOFF ROLL. PILOT REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING GOOD AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS HANDLING WELL. WITNESSES ON THE GROUND REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS RUNNING NORMAL AND MAKING POWER. ADDITIONALLY, THE PILOT AND WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE TAIL CAME UP QUICKLY; THE AIRCRAFT LIFTED OFF; SETTLED SLIGHTLY; CLIPPED A BARBED-WIRE FENCE PARTIALLY COVERED BY TALL GRASS, THEN CART-WHEELED INTO A CORN FIELD, LOCATED IN HUMBOLDT, COUNTY, IOWA.
USING A RANGE FINDER, THE DISTANCE PLOTTED FROM THE POINT THE PILOT INITIATED HIS TAKEOFF ROLL TO THE POINT AT WHICH THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH THE BARBED-WIRE FENCE, RESULTED IN APPROXIMATELY 720 FT. ROUGHLY 170 FT. BEYOND THE BARBED-WIRE, LAY THE AIRCRAFT UPSIDE-DOWN FACING EAST.
AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. COCKPIT INSPECTION REVEALED AIRCRAFT ENGINE CONTROLS WERE SET FOR TAKEOFF.
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 N83K · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.