- Date
- September 29, 1992, 18:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Buffalo, MN
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N1609NFunk, D.D. B85C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920929039229A
- Case key
- 15562
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 contamination of the carburetor, inadequate maintenance inspection by maintenance personnel, and the inadequate maintenance servicing by the pilot/owner.
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 pilot was on down wind for his private airstrip when the engine began to run rough. It subsequently quit, and trees and terrain were struck during the ensuing forced landing. An examination of the engine and fuel system disclosed no substantive mechanical anomalies with the engine. The carburetor fuel filter screen cap was installed using a gasket adhesive instead of the proper gasket, and a large quantity of foreign particulate matter was found in the carburetor.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1609N
- Reported as
- Funk, D.D. B85C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 394
- Engine
- Continental A-65, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Peterson, Wallace H., Sr.
- Registered owner
- Peterson, Wallace H., Sr.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 18, 1992 · 2 hours before
- Departed
- PVT
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
- 68
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 21,000 total · 300 in this make and model · 17,000 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.