What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
My adult son privacy data omitted and I were returning from oshkosh Wisconsin to brunswick Maine on Sunday, August 30, 2017. We were flying my recently restored acro ii and conducting multiple legs and refueling stops on our journey. At approximately 5 pm we refueled at smith field (ksmd) just north of fort wayne Indiana and planned our next leg to take us to holmes county airport (10G) in millersburg Ohio. We were approximately 15 miles from our destination (1:15 into the flight) when I dropped down from the 3500 feet to 2500 feet and slowed the aircraft in preparation for our landing at holmes county. When I added power to level off the engine begin to run noticeably rough. My son commented that something was wrong. I immediately turned on the carburetor heat and observed no improvement as the engine continued to lose more power and sputter. We were both immediately aware that there was a field beneath us that would be our only option for a forced landing and while continuing to troubleshoot my engine problems (to no avail), I made for the field. Once at low altitude I begin to notice the pronounced undulating nature of the field which gave me concern and difficulty choosing a good spot to land. I knew I needed to make a choice quickly as I was losing altitude and airspeed and room in the field. I finally chose and upslope toward the end of the field to touchdown. The aircraft rolled for a short distance and crested the hill, briefly regaining flight. We touched down again just at the edge of a field of deep soybeans on a downhill slope. The aircraft decelerated rapidly, and carried upright through the soybeans for approximately 100 feet before it flipped forward on the propeller and came to rest upside down in the field. My son and I were able to crawl out of the airplane without difficulty. We called 911 right away.
The pilot stated he about 6 gallons of fuel remaining at the time of the landing.
As the FAA filed it
MY ADULT SON ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND I WERE RETURNING FROM OSHKOSH WISCONSIN TO BRUNSWICK MAINE ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 30, 2017. WE WERE FLYING MY RECENTLY RESTORED ACRO II AND CONDUCTING MULTIPLE LEGS AND REFUELING STOPS ON OUR JOURNEY. AT APPROXIMATELY 5 PM WE REFUELED AT SMITH FIELD (KSMD) JUST NORTH OF FORT WAYNE INDIANA AND PLANNED OUR NEXT LEG TO TAKE US TO HOLMES COUNTY AIRPORT (10G) IN MILLERSBURG OHIO. WE WERE APPROXIMATELY 15 MILES FROM OUR DESTINATION (1:15 INTO THE FLIGHT) WHEN I DROPPED DOWN FROM THE 3500 FEET TO 2500 FEET AND SLOWED THE AIRCRAFT IN PREPARATION FOR OUR LANDING AT HOLMES COUNTY. WHEN I ADDED POWER TO LEVEL OFF THE ENGINE BEGIN TO RUN NOTICEABLY ROUGH. MY SON COMMENTED THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED ON THE CARBURETOR HEAT AND OBSERVED NO IMPROVEMENT AS THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO LOSE MORE POWER AND SPUTTER. WE WERE BOTH IMMEDIATELY AWARE THAT THERE WAS A FIELD BENEATH US THAT WOULD BE OUR ONLY OPTION FOR A FORCED LANDING AND WHILE CONTINUING TO TROUBLESHOOT MY ENGINE PROBLEMS (TO NO AVAIL), I MADE FOR THE FIELD. ONCE AT LOW ALTITUDE I BEGIN TO NOTICE THE PRONOUNCED UNDULATING NATURE OF THE FIELD WHICH GAVE ME CONCERN AND DIFFICULTY CHOOSING A GOOD SPOT TO LAND. I KNEW I NEEDED TO MAKE A CHOICE QUICKLY AS I WAS LOSING ALTITUDE AND AIRSPEED AND ROOM IN THE FIELD. I FINALLY CHOSE AND UPSLOPE TOWARD THE END OF THE FIELD TO TOUCHDOWN. THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED FOR A SHORT DISTANCE AND CRESTED THE HILL, BRIEFLY REGAINING FLIGHT. WE TOUCHED DOWN AGAIN JUST AT THE EDGE OF A FIELD OF DEEP SOYBEANS ON A DOWNHILL SLOPE. THE AIRCRAFT DECELERATED RAPIDLY, AND CARRIED UPRIGHT THROUGH THE SOYBEANS FOR APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET BEFORE IT FLIPPED FORWARD ON THE PROPELLER AND CAME TO REST UPSIDE DOWN IN THE FIELD. MY SON AND I WERE ABLE TO CRAWL OUT OF THE AIRPLANE WITHOUT DIFFICULTY. WE CALLED 911 RIGHT AWAY.
THE PILOT STATED HE ABOUT 6 GALLONS OF FUEL REMAINING AT THE TIME OF THE LANDING.
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 N896JC · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.