20240831011919I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-18-150 · Battle Lake, MN · August 31, 2024

Date: August 31, 2024 · 12:00 local
Place: Battle Lake, MN
Airport: Battle Lake Municipal
Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N82196
Reported as: Piper PA-18-150
Reported engine: Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 4,200 total

N82196Registered now · Piper PA-18-150S/N 18-7909070 · Built 1979 Airframe modelPiper PA-18-150 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.

PIC overflew the airport and entered a LH downwind. PIC turned about a one mile base and reduced power for descent and landing. As approaching turn to final, PIC determined the wind was stronger than first thought and was going to be a little low on approach. PIC went to add a little power and the throttle moved forward slightly but didn't feel right and the engine didn't respond. At this time PIC turned direct to the threshold and checked the mixture and fuel selector which were in the proper positions. PIC further tried advancing power but got no response, the engine was still idling, however. When PIC determined he was not going to make the runway he added full flaps and prepared to land in a farm field just short of the runway with corn approximately six feet tall. The PIC proceeded to flare and pulled mixture to idle cut off and turned off the battery master. The airplane entered the corn in a 3-point attitude and slowly turned over as it came to a stop.

As the FAA filed it

PIC OVERFLEW THE AIRPORT AND ENTERED A LH DOWNWIND. PIC TURNED ABOUT A ONE MILE BASE AND REDUCED POWER FOR DESCENT AND LANDING. AS APPROACHING TURN TO FINAL, PIC DETERMINED THE WIND WAS STRONGER THAN FIRST THOUGHT AND WAS GOING TO BE A LITTLE LOW ON APPROACH. PIC WENT TO ADD A LITTLE POWER AND THE THROTTLE MOVED FORWARD SLIGHTLY BUT DIDN'T FEEL RIGHT AND THE ENGINE DIDN'T RESPOND. AT THIS TIME PIC TURNED DIRECT TO THE THRESHOLD AND CHECKED THE MIXTURE AND FUEL SELECTOR WHICH WERE IN THE PROPER POSITIONS. PIC FURTHER TRIED ADVANCING POWER BUT GOT NO RESPONSE, THE ENGINE WAS STILL IDLING, HOWEVER. WHEN PIC DETERMINED HE WAS NOT GOING TO MAKE THE RUNWAY HE ADDED FULL FLAPS AND PREPARED TO LAND IN A FARM FIELD JUST SHORT OF THE RUNWAY WITH CORN APPROXIMATELY SIX FEET TALL. THE PIC PROCEEDED TO FLARE AND PULLED MIXTURE TO IDLE CUT OFF AND TURNED OFF THE BATTERY MASTER. THE AIRPLANE ENTERED THE CORN IN A 3-POINT ATTITUDE AND SLOWLY TURNED OVER AS IT CAME TO A STOP.