What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On may 04th, 2024 at approximately 1605 CDT a Mooney M18C aircraft operated by a commercial pilot received minor damage when forced to conduct an off-field landing approximately 11 miles northeast of the laporte municipal airport (ppo) in Indiana. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the incident. The flight was being conducted under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations (CFR) part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot was the sole occupant and sustained minor injuries.
The flight originated from the elkhart municipal airport (ekm) in elkhart Indiana at approximately 1637 EDT and the purpose of the flight was to fly for 30 minutes to perform functional checks of the newly installed uavionics ADS-B out tail beacon and then land at the south bend international airport(sbn). The pilot and mechanic both noted that the 10-gallon tank was at approximately 6.5-7 gallons on board the aircraft prior to departure and this should have been enough for a 1.5HR flight at the 4 gallons per hour burn rate. Upon departure from ekm the pilot set a timer for 20 minutes, contacted sbn ATC and flew southwest towards the laporte municipal airport (ppo) at an altitude of 350 and once the timer went off he turned back towards south bend (sbn). The aircraft then lost power and RPM dropped to approximately 1500RPM. Performed emergency checklists and then an off-field landing in a corn field that had been harvested the year before. Upon landing the gear collapsed into the wheel wells, both wooden propeller blades were broken off and the belly antenna was bent aft and no other significant damage was noted.
Inspection of aircraft noted continuity of all flight and engine controls. The fuel tank resides behind the pilot’s head and the clear externally mounted tube that indicates fuel level showed no fuel and there was no smell of fuel on site or in the cockpit.
As the FAA filed it
ON MAY 04TH, 2024 AT APPROXIMATELY 1605 CDT A MOONEY M18C AIRCRAFT OPERATED BY A COMMERCIAL PILOT RECEIVED MINOR DAMAGE WHEN FORCED TO CONDUCT AN OFF-FIELD LANDING APPROXIMATELY 11 MILES NORTHEAST OF THE LAPORTE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (PPO) IN INDIANA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THE FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91 WITHOUT A FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT AND SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES.
THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE ELKHART MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (EKM) IN ELKHART INDIANA AT APPROXIMATELY 1637 EDT AND THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO FLY FOR 30 MINUTES TO PERFORM FUNCTIONAL CHECKS OF THE NEWLY INSTALLED UAVIONICS ADS-B OUT TAIL BEACON AND THEN LAND AT THE SOUTH BEND INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT(SBN). THE PILOT AND MECHANIC BOTH NOTED THAT THE 10-GALLON TANK WAS AT APPROXIMATELY 6.5-7 GALLONS ON BOARD THE AIRCRAFT PRIOR TO DEPARTURE AND THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN ENOUGH FOR A 1.5HR FLIGHT AT THE 4 GALLONS PER HOUR BURN RATE. UPON DEPARTURE FROM EKM THE PILOT SET A TIMER FOR 20 MINUTES, CONTACTED SBN ATC AND FLEW SOUTHWEST TOWARDS THE LAPORTE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (PPO) AT AN ALTITUDE OF 350 AND ONCE THE TIMER WENT OFF HE TURNED BACK TOWARDS SOUTH BEND (SBN). THE AIRCRAFT THEN LOST POWER AND RPM DROPPED TO APPROXIMATELY 1500RPM. PERFORMED EMERGENCY CHECKLISTS AND THEN AN OFF-FIELD LANDING IN A CORN FIELD THAT HAD BEEN HARVESTED THE YEAR BEFORE. UPON LANDING THE GEAR COLLAPSED INTO THE WHEEL WELLS, BOTH WOODEN PROPELLER BLADES WERE BROKEN OFF AND THE BELLY ANTENNA WAS BENT AFT AND NO OTHER SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE WAS NOTED.
INSPECTION OF AIRCRAFT NOTED CONTINUITY OF ALL FLIGHT AND ENGINE CONTROLS. THE FUEL TANK RESIDES BEHIND THE PILOT’S HEAD AND THE CLEAR EXTERNALLY MOUNTED TUBE THAT INDICATES FUEL LEVEL SHOWED NO FUEL AND THERE WAS NO SMELL OF FUEL ON SITE OR IN THE COCKPIT.
Other reports on N4070 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.