- Date
- July 31, 1982, 18:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Arlington, TN
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N5600MVarga 2180
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 31, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820731033819A
- Case key
- 69807
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot made a precautionary landing during a cross country flight due to low fuel. After deciding he had enough fuel to continue, the pilot elected to takeoff. During the initial climb the engine quit. An emergency landing was made in a cotton field.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5600M
- Reported as
- Varga 2180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- VAC 183-82
- Airframe hours
- 69
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Curtis R. Merkel
- Registered owner
- Curtis R. Merkel
- Departed
- Oneida, TN
- Destination
- FLV · Ft. Leavenworth, KS
- Airport
- Wilder'S Strip, runway 18, 3,000 × 0 ft, grass/turf
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 42
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 212 total · 29 in this make and model · 29 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Temperature
- 192 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.