- Date
- July 22, 1992, 17:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Winn, MI
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N881Hauser, William C. Cassutt
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 31, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920722026729A
- Case key
- 15240
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 ditch the airplane encountered during the landing roll phase of a forced landing.
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
During a flight in preparation for an air race the airplane's engine ceased operation during cruise. The pilot performed a forced landing in a bean field. During the landing rollout the airplane collided with a ditch the pilot had not observed prior to the landing. The post accident investigation revealed the engine was modified and was not equipped with a starter, fuel boost pump, or engine primer. The airplane's fuel tank contained approximately three gallons of auto fuel. The ignition spark leads had water contamination on them at the magneto attach point. Corrosion was observed on the magneto harness block and distributor block spring. The spark plugs and wires were automotive.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N881
- Reported as
- Hauser, William C. Cassutt
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- CWH 101
- Airframe hours
- 60
- Engine
- Continental O-200-A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Phillip C. Pettyjohn, doing business as
- Registered owner
- Philip C Pettyjohn
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 30, 1992 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- M153
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
- 69
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 18,000 total · 10 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- HTL, 53 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.