What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On September 1, 2020 at 11:45 eastern daylight time (EDT), a Stinson 108-3 aircraft, N909C, registered to privacy data omitted and operated by a private pilot for a personal flight received minor damage when it landed in a bean field and flipped over after experiencing an engine failure.
Visual meteorological conditions and light northerly winds prevailed at the time of the accident. The private flight was being conducted under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations (CFR) part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot was not injured in the accident. The flight originated from Mt. Pleasant airport, (kmop) Mt. Pleasant, MI at approximately 11:00 EDT. The pilot was overflying a friend?s property when the engine started backfiring and lost power. The pilot determined he would need to land in a soybean field. The aircraft flipped over as the wheels became entangled in the dense ground cover.
Weather was reported at kikw 9/1/2020 1515Z wind 340 at 5 KTS, temp 70F dew point 63F altimeter 2991. Weather at kmop was reported at 9/1/2020 1515Z wind 360 at 4 KTS, temp 73F dew point 61F altimeter 2991.
Examination of the aircraft revealed damage to the aircraft wing struts, wingtips, engine cowling, nose cone, tail, longerons, engine mount and firewall. Samples taken from the right wing fuel tank revealed automobile gasoline with water, rust and other contaminants. Samples taken from the left wing fuel tank revealed clean 100LL aviation fuel. The pilot indicated he had been running from the right wing when the engine sputtered and lost power. Fuel samples taken from the engine revealed the same particulate filled gasoline found in the right tank. The owner disassembled the carburetor and found minor amounts of contamination but nothing significant. Upon further inspection it was determined that the generator drive gear had come off its shaft and fowled both magneto gears causing the engine to quit. This was confirmed by an off duty FAA front line manager on site at the tear down inspection.
As the FAA filed it
ON SEPTEMBER 1, 2020 AT 11:45 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME (EDT), A STINSON 108-3 AIRCRAFT, N909C, REGISTERED TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND OPERATED BY A PRIVATE PILOT FOR A PERSONAL FLIGHT RECEIVED MINOR DAMAGE WHEN IT LANDED IN A BEAN FIELD AND FLIPPED OVER AFTER EXPERIENCING AN ENGINE FAILURE.
VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AND LIGHT NORTHERLY WINDS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PRIVATE FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91 WITHOUT A FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED IN THE ACCIDENT. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM MT. PLEASANT AIRPORT, (KMOP) MT. PLEASANT, MI AT APPROXIMATELY 11:00 EDT. THE PILOT WAS OVERFLYING A FRIEND?S PROPERTY WHEN THE ENGINE STARTED BACKFIRING AND LOST POWER. THE PILOT DETERMINED HE WOULD NEED TO LAND IN A SOYBEAN FIELD. THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED OVER AS THE WHEELS BECAME ENTANGLED IN THE DENSE GROUND COVER.
WEATHER WAS REPORTED AT KIKW 9/1/2020 1515Z WIND 340 AT 5 KTS, TEMP 70F DEW POINT 63F ALTIMETER 2991. WEATHER AT KMOP WAS REPORTED AT 9/1/2020 1515Z WIND 360 AT 4 KTS, TEMP 73F DEW POINT 61F ALTIMETER 2991.
EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT WING STRUTS, WINGTIPS, ENGINE COWLING, NOSE CONE, TAIL, LONGERONS, ENGINE MOUNT AND FIREWALL. SAMPLES TAKEN FROM THE RIGHT WING FUEL TANK REVEALED AUTOMOBILE GASOLINE WITH WATER, RUST AND OTHER CONTAMINANTS. SAMPLES TAKEN FROM THE LEFT WING FUEL TANK REVEALED CLEAN 100LL AVIATION FUEL. THE PILOT INDICATED HE HAD BEEN RUNNING FROM THE RIGHT WING WHEN THE ENGINE SPUTTERED AND LOST POWER. FUEL SAMPLES TAKEN FROM THE ENGINE REVEALED THE SAME PARTICULATE FILLED GASOLINE FOUND IN THE RIGHT TANK. THE OWNER DISASSEMBLED THE CARBURETOR AND FOUND MINOR AMOUNTS OF CONTAMINATION BUT NOTHING SIGNIFICANT. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE GENERATOR DRIVE GEAR HAD COME OFF ITS SHAFT AND FOWLED BOTH MAGNETO GEARS CAUSING THE ENGINE TO QUIT. THIS WAS CONFIRMED BY AN OFF DUTY FAA FRONT LINE MANAGER ON SITE AT THE TEAR DOWN INSPECTION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.