What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot was flying from champaign IL(kcmi) to planned destination naperville IL, (LL10) naper aero. The flight was at 5000 ft. (MSL), at approximately 21:50 local time, the pilot indicated he switched the tank valve from the left main to the aux tank setting of which about 1 minute later, the engine lost power. He immediately pushed the mixture to full rich and switched the tank lever back to the left main tank with no result.
ATC (chicago center ? 123.75) radioed to the pilot during this and stated they were showing a turn to the right, and the pilot then radioed back indicating that he was aware and that he had engine failure and was trying to manage the problem.
ATC responded that they were declaring an emergency and asked if he thought he could get to the paxton airport approximately 11 miles away from his current location.
The pilot indicated that he did not think he could make that from 5000 ft. (MSL), but asked for a heading anyway. ATC indicated to turn left to a heading of 170, and that would get me towards paxton. Then turned the aircraft onto the 170 heading while trying to maintain the best glide speed.
At approximately 500 ft. MSL and after several attempts at restarting the engine with nothing more than a sputter. The pilot made a decision to stop the attempting to restart the engine and focus on the landing.
Since it had been raining all day the pilot decided to land gear up. The plane flew approximately 150 feet through the corn and came out into a bare ?bean? Field, touched down on its belly about 30 feet outside the corn and slid approximately 270 feet and came to a stop.
No defined answer for of loss of power at this time. Appears to be at the fuel selector switch/valve waiting for the tear down results.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT WAS FLYING FROM CHAMPAIGN IL(KCMI) TO PLANNED DESTINATION NAPERVILLE IL, (LL10) NAPER AERO. THE FLIGHT WAS AT 5000 FT. (MSL), AT APPROXIMATELY 21:50 LOCAL TIME, THE PILOT INDICATED HE SWITCHED THE TANK VALVE FROM THE LEFT MAIN TO THE AUX TANK SETTING OF WHICH ABOUT 1 MINUTE LATER, THE ENGINE LOST POWER. HE IMMEDIATELY PUSHED THE MIXTURE TO FULL RICH AND SWITCHED THE TANK LEVER BACK TO THE LEFT MAIN TANK WITH NO RESULT.
ATC (CHICAGO CENTER ? 123.75) RADIOED TO THE PILOT DURING THIS AND STATED THEY WERE SHOWING A TURN TO THE RIGHT, AND THE PILOT THEN RADIOED BACK INDICATING THAT HE WAS AWARE AND THAT HE HAD ENGINE FAILURE AND WAS TRYING TO MANAGE THE PROBLEM.
ATC RESPONDED THAT THEY WERE DECLARING AN EMERGENCY AND ASKED IF HE THOUGHT HE COULD GET TO THE PAXTON AIRPORT APPROXIMATELY 11 MILES AWAY FROM HIS CURRENT LOCATION.
THE PILOT INDICATED THAT HE DID NOT THINK HE COULD MAKE THAT FROM 5000 FT. (MSL), BUT ASKED FOR A HEADING ANYWAY. ATC INDICATED TO TURN LEFT TO A HEADING OF 170, AND THAT WOULD GET ME TOWARDS PAXTON. THEN TURNED THE AIRCRAFT ONTO THE 170 HEADING WHILE TRYING TO MAINTAIN THE BEST GLIDE SPEED.
AT APPROXIMATELY 500 FT. MSL AND AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS AT RESTARTING THE ENGINE WITH NOTHING MORE THAN A SPUTTER. THE PILOT MADE A DECISION TO STOP THE ATTEMPTING TO RESTART THE ENGINE AND FOCUS ON THE LANDING.
SINCE IT HAD BEEN RAINING ALL DAY THE PILOT DECIDED TO LAND GEAR UP. THE PLANE FLEW APPROXIMATELY 150 FEET THROUGH THE CORN AND CAME OUT INTO A BARE ?BEAN? FIELD, TOUCHED DOWN ON ITS BELLY ABOUT 30 FEET OUTSIDE THE CORN AND SLID APPROXIMATELY 270 FEET AND CAME TO A STOP.
NO DEFINED ANSWER FOR OF LOSS OF POWER AT THIS TIME. APPEARS TO BE AT THE FUEL SELECTOR SWITCH/VALVE WAITING FOR THE TEAR DOWN RESULTS.
Other reports on N9348Y · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.