What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
N180LP, impacted trees and terrain during a forced landing near Gaylord, Michigan. The private pilot and his passenger were seriously injured, and the airplane sustained substantial
Damage.
The pilot reported that after departing otsego lake he flew north toward the Gaylord regional airport (glr) to fly a practice instrument landing system approach to runway 9. After the practice approach, he flew toward his private airstrip located about 5 miles southeast of glr. He reported that the airplane experienced a total loss of engine power and the propeller
Stopped rotating as he was completing a series of turns near his airstrip. The pilot stated that before the loss of engine power the airplane was at least 500 ft above ground level (AGL) and the engine was operating at 2,300 RPM and 23 inches of manifold pressure. Additionally, he stated that the engine did not sputter, bang, or run rough before the loss of engine power. The pilot reported that the airplane collided with trees during the forced landing.
The passenger reported that they circled the pilot's private airstrip a couple of times to view the property. While circling over the airstrip, the pilot and passenger observed and discussed how the fuel gauges fluctuated while the airplane was in a sustained turn with partially full fuel
Tanks. The passenger reported that the engine quit while the airplane was in a turn, and that the airplane collided with trees as the pilot attempted to land at the airstrip.
Six witnesses reported hearing the engine sputter prior to the crash.
Examination of the wreckage revealed fuel in the carburetor, firewall strainer, and tanks. Examination of the engine showed cylinders had compression and the magnetos produced spark.
As the FAA filed it
N180LP, IMPACTED TREES AND TERRAIN DURING A FORCED LANDING NEAR GAYLORD, MICHIGAN. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER WERE SERIOUSLY INJURED, AND THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL
DAMAGE.
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT AFTER DEPARTING OTSEGO LAKE HE FLEW NORTH TOWARD THE GAYLORD REGIONAL AIRPORT (GLR) TO FLY A PRACTICE INSTRUMENT LANDING SYSTEM APPROACH TO RUNWAY 9. AFTER THE PRACTICE APPROACH, HE FLEW TOWARD HIS PRIVATE AIRSTRIP LOCATED ABOUT 5 MILES SOUTHEAST OF GLR. HE REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE EXPERIENCED A TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER AND THE PROPELLER
STOPPED ROTATING AS HE WAS COMPLETING A SERIES OF TURNS NEAR HIS AIRSTRIP. THE PILOT STATED THAT BEFORE THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER THE AIRPLANE WAS AT LEAST 500 FT ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL) AND THE ENGINE WAS OPERATING AT 2,300 RPM AND 23 INCHES OF MANIFOLD PRESSURE. ADDITIONALLY, HE STATED THAT THE ENGINE DID NOT SPUTTER, BANG, OR RUN ROUGH BEFORE THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH TREES DURING THE FORCED LANDING.
THE PASSENGER REPORTED THAT THEY CIRCLED THE PILOT'S PRIVATE AIRSTRIP A COUPLE OF TIMES TO VIEW THE PROPERTY. WHILE CIRCLING OVER THE AIRSTRIP, THE PILOT AND PASSENGER OBSERVED AND DISCUSSED HOW THE FUEL GAUGES FLUCTUATED WHILE THE AIRPLANE WAS IN A SUSTAINED TURN WITH PARTIALLY FULL FUEL
TANKS. THE PASSENGER REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE QUIT WHILE THE AIRPLANE WAS IN A TURN, AND THAT THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH TREES AS THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO LAND AT THE AIRSTRIP.
SIX WITNESSES REPORTED HEARING THE ENGINE SPUTTER PRIOR TO THE CRASH.
EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED FUEL IN THE CARBURETOR, FIREWALL STRAINER, AND TANKS. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE SHOWED CYLINDERS HAD COMPRESSION AND THE MAGNETOS PRODUCED SPARK.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.