- Date
- August 7, 2008, 20:05 local (Aug 8, 2008, 01:05 UTC)
- Place
- Jefferson, IA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N73PBSchweizer G-164A
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern downwind: Loss of engine power (total)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 26, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Des Moines, IA
- FAA report
- 20080807844779A
- Case key
- 68899
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 for an undetermined reason and the unsuitable terrain encountered during the forced landing. The corn crop was a factor.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that the airplane's engine lost power and began shaking violently as the airplane was approximately mid-field downwind for landing. He stated that he had insufficient altitude to execute a power-off landing to the runway and elected to land the airplane in a farm field. He said that he flared the airplane and as the airplane settled into the corn, he applied full aft elevator but the airplane pitched nose down and flipped onto its back. He stated that he had performed a pre-flight engine run-up before the accident. He made no mention of any discrepancies noted during the run-up, takeoff, or initial climb out.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that the airplane's engine lost power and began shaking violently as the airplane was approximately mid-field downwind for landing. He stated that he had insufficient altitude to execute a power-off landing to the runway and elected to land the airplane in a farm field. He said that he flared the airplane and as the airplane settled into the corn, he applied full aft elevator but the airplane pitched nose down and flipped onto its back. He stated that he had performed a pre-flight engine run-up before the accident. He made no mention of any discrepancies noted during the run-up, takeoff, or initial climb out.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N73PB
- Reported as
- Schweizer G-164A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1118
- Airframe hours
- 6,000
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney R-985-14B, 450 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 1, 2008
- Departed
- EFW · Jefferson, IA
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
- 51
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 1, 2006
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 10,900 total · 72 in this make and model · 10,700 as pilot in command · 72 in the last 90 days · 72 in the last 30 days · 8 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.
Other investigations on N73PB · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.