- Date
- September 1, 1983, 15:10 local (19:10 UTC)
- Place
- Sheridan, MI
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N81TEEdwards Mitchell P-38
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830901048779A
- Case key
- 12328
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 down in a crop of corn during a forced landing after the engine lost power at 200 ft AGL during takeoff climb. During the turn back to the airstrip the left wing stalled. The pilot said he recovered about 10 ft AGL but the corn stalks slowed the acft and forced the nose down. After the accident an inspection showed a fuel line crimped against the tank causing a partial blocking of fuel flow. This is a homebuilt acft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N81TE
- Reported as
- Edwards Mitchell P-38 (MITCHELL P)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- L-208
- Airframe hours
- 82
- Engine
- Cuyuna NOT REPORTED, 30 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Thomas Edwards
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 21, 1983
- Airport
- NONE · Russell Field, runway 34, 1,700 × ft, grass/turf
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 33
- Certificate
- Student
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Expired
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 90 total · 82 in this make and model · 82 as pilot in command · 1 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GRR, 18 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.