- Date
- May 23, 2006, 17:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Morris, IL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N944SJMiller Rutan Long-Ez
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 29, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20060523012609A
- Case key
- 63921
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The partial loss of engine power during the final approach to landing for undetermined reasons, and the unsuitable terrain for landing encountered by the pilot. The tall grass was a factor.
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 amateur-built experimental airplane sustained substantial damage when it landed in a field with tall grass about 210 feet short of the paved runway. The pilot reported that he applied power when he recognized that he was low on the approach, but the engine did not respond and the airplane impacted the terrain. The inspection of the engine revealed that the crankshaft was intact and that there was compression on all cylinders. The engine was fuel injected and had electronic ignition. No deficiencies were found that would have precluded normal engine operation. The left fuel tank had 5 gallons of fuel and the right tank had 8 gallons of fuel. Both of the wooden propeller blades were shattered off about 12 inches from the hub.
Factual narrative
The amateur-built experimental airplane sustained substantial damage when it landed in a field with tall grass about 210 feet short of the paved runway. The pilot reported that he applied power when he recognized that he was low on the approach, but the engine did not respond and the airplane impacted the terrain.
The inspection of the engine revealed that the crankshaft was intact and that there was compression on all cylinders. The engine was fuel injected and had electronic ignition. No deficiencies were found that would have precluded normal engine operation. The left fuel tank had 5 gallons of fuel and the right tank had 8 gallons of fuel. Both of the wooden propeller blades were shattered off about 12 inches from the hub.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N944SJ
- Reported as
- Miller Rutan Long-Ez
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 1547
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-320, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- David D. Miller
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- PAH · Paducah, KY
- Destination
- C09 · Morris, IL
- Airport
- C09 · Morris Municipal Airport, runway 18, 4,001 × 75 ft
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
- 56
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 467 total · 300 in this make and model · 22 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.