# Incident 20240504006569I: Mooney M-18C, Mill Creek, IN, May 4, 2024

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 4, 2024, 17:05 local time
- Place: Mill Creek, IN
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 40.0060° N, 87.2574° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Township of Millcreek, IN, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.0060&lon=-87.2574&mi=10
- Aircraft: N4070, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N4070) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Mooney M-18C (registry code 5870102, https://openairdocs.org/model/mooney-m-18c) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental A&C65 series (registry code 17003, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-a-c65-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: MOONEY M-18C
- Reported engine: CONT MOTOR A&C65 SERIES
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 1
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 4,962 total, 150 in this make and model, 67 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20240504006569I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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.

- [Incident 20180630024429I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20180630024429I), Jun 30, 2018: Mooney M-18C (N4070), Bartow, FL, Minor damage. The pilot wanted to fly from 28J palatka, FL to zph zephyrhills, FL in his newly purchased airplane. He called the zph airport for a current weather condition…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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