- Date
- August 2, 1983, 15:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Oshkosh, WI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N4ZZSwain Rutan Longeze
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830802037899A
- Case key
- 12009
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 acft nosed over during a forced landing after a power loss. The acft collided with tall corn during the landing rolland swerved into the corn. Examination of the carburetor revealed pieces of a soft brownish-white somewhat elastic substance in the float chamber. It was very similar in nature to a teflon sealing tape which was used on the threads of the fuel inlet fitting screwed into the inlet part of the float chamber. A piece of tape was loose & folded over the bore of the fitting. The builder stated that he used the tape when installing the fuel supply line to assure no leaks at the carburetor.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4ZZ
- Reported as
- Swain Rutan Longeze (RUTAN LONG)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 229
- Engine
- Continental O-320, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Kenneth C. Swain
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- FLD · Fondulac, WI
- Destination
- OSH · Oshkosh, WI
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- OSH · Wittman Field
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
- 31
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 5,000 total · 800 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 91 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.