What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On Friday October 8, 2021, N677JD, a stenson 108, was involved in an off-field landing in graystone, AR.
The airman was on a cross country flight from arkadelphia, AR (kadf) to searcy, AR (ksrc) returning from a flight earlier that day. Upon leveling off at 1,500' after a flight idle decent from 3,500' the aircraft engine would not respond to any throttle input. Airman reported that the engine starting running rough like it was starving for fuel. Once the airman realized that the engine was no longer responding, he directed the aircraft towards a golf course off his right side. During the glide the airman ran through the standard emergency start procedure which included switching fuel tanks. The procedure was not successful and the airman elected to land the aircraft off-field in the golf course.
During the final approach phase, the airman noticed that he was not going to make it over a row of pine trees between him and the golf course fairway. The airman elected to remain on course and flew the aircraft through a pine tree. The aircraft impacted the pine tree and started a left descending turn which resulted in the aircraft making contact with the ground along the left wing tip. The propeller and engine made contract with a residential utility box that was along side a detached pool house. The aircraft then proceeded to make a left handed 180 degree cartwheel and came to rest upright rotated 180 degrees from the direction of impact.
On scene investigation showed fuel leakage and ground contamination consistent with avgas fuel in the aircraft wing tanks. Damage to the residential utility box showed impact related impressions of the propeller blades with no rotational scarring. Additionally, one propeller blade was fractured due to impact forces and one intact blade with no rotational damage. The fuel selector was broken by the impact and fuel tank position could not be determined.
NTSB layout investigation showed no major abnormalities of the fuel selector or fuel system. Engine carb bowl contained fresh avgas and showed proper carb float movement. Two cylinders and associated pistons contained evidence of corrosion and major caking of lead and exhaust particulates. Airbox showed signs of multiple repair welds and had one failed weld with an approx 1/2" hole. Upper spark plugs show evidence of an extremely lean mixture consistent with fuel starvation. Both magnetos had proper spark and timing.
At this time the reason for the in-flight engine failure is unknown.
As the FAA filed it
ON FRIDAY OCTOBER 8, 2021, N677JD, A STENSON 108, WAS INVOLVED IN AN OFF-FIELD LANDING IN GRAYSTONE, AR.
THE AIRMAN WAS ON A CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT FROM ARKADELPHIA, AR (KADF) TO SEARCY, AR (KSRC) RETURNING FROM A FLIGHT EARLIER THAT DAY. UPON LEVELING OFF AT 1,500' AFTER A FLIGHT IDLE DECENT FROM 3,500' THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE WOULD NOT RESPOND TO ANY THROTTLE INPUT. AIRMAN REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE STARTING RUNNING ROUGH LIKE IT WAS STARVING FOR FUEL. ONCE THE AIRMAN REALIZED THAT THE ENGINE WAS NO LONGER RESPONDING, HE DIRECTED THE AIRCRAFT TOWARDS A GOLF COURSE OFF HIS RIGHT SIDE. DURING THE GLIDE THE AIRMAN RAN THROUGH THE STANDARD EMERGENCY START PROCEDURE WHICH INCLUDED SWITCHING FUEL TANKS. THE PROCEDURE WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL AND THE AIRMAN ELECTED TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT OFF-FIELD IN THE GOLF COURSE.
DURING THE FINAL APPROACH PHASE, THE AIRMAN NOTICED THAT HE WAS NOT GOING TO MAKE IT OVER A ROW OF PINE TREES BETWEEN HIM AND THE GOLF COURSE FAIRWAY. THE AIRMAN ELECTED TO REMAIN ON COURSE AND FLEW THE AIRCRAFT THROUGH A PINE TREE. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE PINE TREE AND STARTED A LEFT DESCENDING TURN WHICH RESULTED IN THE AIRCRAFT MAKING CONTACT WITH THE GROUND ALONG THE LEFT WING TIP. THE PROPELLER AND ENGINE MADE CONTRACT WITH A RESIDENTIAL UTILITY BOX THAT WAS ALONG SIDE A DETACHED POOL HOUSE. THE AIRCRAFT THEN PROCEEDED TO MAKE A LEFT HANDED 180 DEGREE CARTWHEEL AND CAME TO REST UPRIGHT ROTATED 180 DEGREES FROM THE DIRECTION OF IMPACT.
ON SCENE INVESTIGATION SHOWED FUEL LEAKAGE AND GROUND CONTAMINATION CONSISTENT WITH AVGAS FUEL IN THE AIRCRAFT WING TANKS. DAMAGE TO THE RESIDENTIAL UTILITY BOX SHOWED IMPACT RELATED IMPRESSIONS OF THE PROPELLER BLADES WITH NO ROTATIONAL SCARRING. ADDITIONALLY, ONE PROPELLER BLADE WAS FRACTURED DUE TO IMPACT FORCES AND ONE INTACT BLADE WITH NO ROTATIONAL DAMAGE. THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS BROKEN BY THE IMPACT AND FUEL TANK POSITION COULD NOT BE DETERMINED.
NTSB LAYOUT INVESTIGATION SHOWED NO MAJOR ABNORMALITIES OF THE FUEL SELECTOR OR FUEL SYSTEM. ENGINE CARB BOWL CONTAINED FRESH AVGAS AND SHOWED PROPER CARB FLOAT MOVEMENT. TWO CYLINDERS AND ASSOCIATED PISTONS CONTAINED EVIDENCE OF CORROSION AND MAJOR CAKING OF LEAD AND EXHAUST PARTICULATES. AIRBOX SHOWED SIGNS OF MULTIPLE REPAIR WELDS AND HAD ONE FAILED WELD WITH AN APPROX 1/2" HOLE. UPPER SPARK PLUGS SHOW EVIDENCE OF AN EXTREMELY LEAN MIXTURE CONSISTENT WITH FUEL STARVATION. BOTH MAGNETOS HAD PROPER SPARK AND TIMING.
AT THIS TIME THE REASON FOR THE IN-FLIGHT ENGINE FAILURE IS UNKNOWN.
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 N677JD · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.