What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Description of event:
Pilot said just as he pulled up from making a pass over an onion field the engine suddenly stopped, no sputtering or coughing, just quit. Pilot stated that initially he wanted to land on a road, but it became apparent that he couldn't make it. He explained he just cleared a power pole with a transformer mounted on it, and lined up to land on a beet dumping area. The airplane rolled off the packed dirt surface of the beet dump area and rolled uphill over a burm and the right wing made contact with a telephone pole that was covered by weeds and barley.
Contributing factors:
Powerplant (R-1340) failure.
Recommendations:
None
Comments:
Pilot did a very nice job of maintaining control of aircraft, sitational awareness, picking a suitable landing location in a very limited amount of time.
As the FAA filed it
DESCRIPTION OF EVENT:
PILOT SAID JUST AS HE PULLED UP FROM MAKING A PASS OVER AN ONION FIELD THE ENGINE SUDDENLY STOPPED, NO SPUTTERING OR COUGHING, JUST QUIT. PILOT STATED THAT INITIALLY HE WANTED TO LAND ON A ROAD, BUT IT BECAME APPARENT THAT HE COULDN'T MAKE IT. HE EXPLAINED HE JUST CLEARED A POWER POLE WITH A TRANSFORMER MOUNTED ON IT, AND LINED UP TO LAND ON A BEET DUMPING AREA. THE AIRPLANE ROLLED OFF THE PACKED DIRT SURFACE OF THE BEET DUMP AREA AND ROLLED UPHILL OVER A BURM AND THE RIGHT WING MADE CONTACT WITH A TELEPHONE POLE THAT WAS COVERED BY WEEDS AND BARLEY.
CONTRIBUTING FACTORS:
POWERPLANT (R-1340) FAILURE.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
NONE
COMMENTS:
PILOT DID A VERY NICE JOB OF MAINTAINING CONTROL OF AIRCRAFT, SITATIONAL AWARENESS, PICKING A SUITABLE LANDING LOCATION IN A VERY LIMITED AMOUNT OF TIME.
Other reports on N23811 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.