CHI94LA242

While at cruise flight the world war two vintage fighter's engine power went from a cruise setting to idle. The pilot landed the airplane in a corn field. During the on-scene inspection of the airplane, its throttle linkage was found separated from its threaded ball joint attachment end.

On July 22, 1994, at 1530 eastern daylight time (edt), a Grumman FM-2, NL1PP, registered to the Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum of Kalamazoo, Michigan, and piloted by a commercially certificated pilot, was substantially damaged during a forced landing in a corn field following a total loss of engine power. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR Part 91 flight was not operating on a flight plan. The pilot reported no injuries. The flight departed Kalamazoo, Michigan, at 1500 edt.

The pilot's written statement on NTSB Form 6120.1/2 said the accident airplane's engine "...manifold pressure [began] decreasing rapidly..." while at a cruise altitude of 2,400 feet above mean sea level. The pilot said the power decreased to idle and that he selected a corn field for the forced landing.

An on-scene inspection of NL1PP revealed that the throttle linkage had separated away from its threaded ball joint attachment end. According to the mechanic inspecting the linkage, the engine will go to an idle power setting once the throttle linkage has been compromised.