- Date
- September 3, 2006, 14:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Platteville, WI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N4FDHedeman Tailwind W8
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 28, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 64531
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 loss of engine power as a result of the pilot's inadequate preflight which resulted in a blocked fuel vent that led to fuel starvation.
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 nosed over during a forced landing to a farm field after a loss of engine power. The pilot reported that he had conducted two moderate speed taxi runs prior to the takeoff. He reported that he departed and just prior to turning crosswind, the engine "died." He executed a forced landing to an alfalfa field, but the airplane nosed over during the landing roll. The examination of the airplane revealed that the fuel vent was clogged.
Factual narrative
The amateur-built experimental airplane sustained substantial damage when it nosed over during a forced landing to a farm field after a loss of engine power. The pilot reported that he had conducted two moderate speed taxi runs prior to the takeoff. He reported that he departed and just prior to turning crosswind, the engine "died." He executed a forced landing to an alfalfa field, but the airplane nosed over during the landing roll. The examination of the airplane revealed that the fuel vent was clogged.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4FD
- Reported as
- Hedeman Tailwind W8
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 757
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Donald L. Hedeman
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- PVB · Platteville, WI
- Airport
- PVB · Platteville Municipal Airport, runway 7
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
- 62
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2
- Flight hours
- 2,600 total · 0 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day