- Date
- July 27, 1993, 11:31 local (16:31 UTC)
- Place
- Valparaiso, IN
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N9981YChampion 402
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 7, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930727025739A
- Case key
- 9257
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
Failure of the exhaust stack assembly.
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
Immediately after takeoff from runway 27, the right engine lost power. The pilot determined a return to the airport was not possible, so he made a forced landing in a large field to the northwest of the airport. An investigation revealed that the exhaust stack assembly, champion part number 4-1218, had cracked and failed at a weld. The p-leads were melted by the hot exhaust gases, shorting out the magnetos.
Factual narrative
On July 27, 1993, about 1131 central daylight time, a Champion 402; N9981Y, operated by Stephen E. Unger, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing in a field 1.5 miles west of Valparaiso, Indiana. The airline transport pilot and one passenger were uninjured. The flight was operating under 14 CFR Part 91 in visual meteorological conditions with no flight plan on file. The flight originated form Valparaiso, Indiana.
Immediately following takeoff from runway 27 at Valparaiso, the right engine lost power. The pilot determined a return to the airport was not possible, and made a forced landing in a large field to the northwest of the airport.
The aircraft's right wing was damaged. Further investigation found the exhaust stack assembly, Champion part number 4-1218, cracked and separated at the weld. The P-Leads were melted by the hot gases, shorting out the magnetos.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9981Y
- Reported as
- Champion 402
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 0025
- Airframe hours
- 868
- Engine
- Continental O-200-A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Unger, Stephen E.
- Registered owner
- Unger, Stephen E.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
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
- 46
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 14,400 total · 15 in this make and model · 8,800 as pilot in command · 200 in the last 90 days · 70 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SBN, 36 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.
Other investigations on N9981Y · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.