20240215001699I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Robbins Wesley M RV-4 · Newton, KS · February 15, 2024

Date: February 15, 2024 · 13:15 local
Place: Newton, KS
Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N13MR
Reported as: Robbins Wesley M RV-4
Reported engine: Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 12,026 total

N13MRRegistered now · Robbins Wesley M RV-4S/N 1356 · Built 1991 Airframe modelRobbins Wesley M RV-4 Engine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Vans RV4 privacy data omitted left from wichita ict at 1300 flying to Newton ewk. Approaching ewk at 1100 AGL, with 2 axis autopilot locked on and field in site, pilot pulled power back to full idle. With idle power selected, the engine died and would not restart after a couple of attempts. The pilot immediately began searching for a suitable landing site in nearby farm fields and landed. At the time the engine failed fuel was being delivered via the left-wing tank. The pilot did not have time to switch tanks. Aircraft landed uneventfully in a farm field, very minor superficial damage to right gear plastic guard. Total distance flown was approximately 27 miles. Weather was VFR winds 040 at 10 knots.

The next day fuel level was found to be about half a tank in both wings.

As the FAA filed it

VANS RV4 ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ LEFT FROM WICHITA ICT AT 1300 FLYING TO NEWTON EWK. APPROACHING EWK AT 1100 AGL, WITH 2 AXIS AUTOPILOT LOCKED ON AND FIELD IN SITE, PILOT PULLED POWER BACK TO FULL IDLE. WITH IDLE POWER SELECTED, THE ENGINE DIED AND WOULD NOT RESTART AFTER A COUPLE OF ATTEMPTS. THE PILOT IMMEDIATELY BEGAN SEARCHING FOR A SUITABLE LANDING SITE IN NEARBY FARM FIELDS AND LANDED. AT THE TIME THE ENGINE FAILED FUEL WAS BEING DELIVERED VIA THE LEFT-WING TANK. THE PILOT DID NOT HAVE TIME TO SWITCH TANKS. AIRCRAFT LANDED UNEVENTFULLY IN A FARM FIELD, VERY MINOR SUPERFICIAL DAMAGE TO RIGHT GEAR PLASTIC GUARD. TOTAL DISTANCE FLOWN WAS APPROXIMATELY 27 MILES. WEATHER WAS VFR WINDS 040 AT 10 KNOTS.

THE NEXT DAY FUEL LEVEL WAS FOUND TO BE ABOUT HALF A TANK IN BOTH WINGS.