- Date
- July 18, 1998, 19:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Stevensville, MI
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Emergency descent
- Aircraft
- N40512Cook Teenie TWO
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 15, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980718034989A
- Case key
- 43635
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 pilot's inadequate preflight planning and preparation which resulted in fuel exhaustion and subsequent loss of engine power.
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 said that he was in cruise flight approximately 500 feet above the ground when the engine rpm began slowly decreasing. The pilot initiated a climb at full power, turned on the back-up battery, and applied carburetor heat. There was no change in engine rpm. The pilot planned to land on a road adjacent to a corn field. At the time, there were no people or cars in sight. While turning from base leg to final, 'the plane started stalling.' The pilot pushed the control stick forward to get the nose down. It was at that time that the engine lost all power. The pilot said that he was unable to get full control of the airplane back. The airplane impacted between the road and the corn field. Examination of the airplane's fuel system and engine revealed no evidence of fuel. No other anomalies with the airplane were revealed.
Factual narrative
On July 18, 1998, at 1930 eastern daylight time (edt), a Cook Teenie Two, N40512, operated by a private pilot, sustained substantial damage when during cruise flight the airplane's engine lost power. During the subsequent forced landing, the airplane impacted in a corn field. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. There was no flight plan on file. The pilot reported minor injuries. The local flight originated at Berrien Springs, Michigan, at 1910 edt.
In his written statement, the pilot said that he was in cruise flight approximately 500 feet above the ground when the engine rpm began slowly decreasing. The pilot initiated a climb at full power, turned on the back-up battery, and applied carburetor heat. There was no change in engine rpm. The pilot said that he planned to land on a road adjacent to a corn field. At the time, there were no people or cars in sight. While turning from base leg to final, "the plane started stalling." The pilot pushed the control stick forward to get the nose down. It was at that time that the engine lost all power. The pilot said that he was unable to get full control of the airplane back. He set the airplane down between the road and the corn field.
A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector examined the wreckage at a nearby hangar. The airplane's nose wheel was broken off. One of the two wooden propeller blades was broken aft. The airplane's bottom cowling and bottom forward fuselage were crushed upward. The engine was bent upward at the mounts. The engine firewall was buckled forward. The airplane's right wing showed skin wrinkles. The remainder of the airplane was undamaged. Flight control continuity was confirmed. Examination of the airplane's 9 gallon fuel tank showed it void of fuel. Examination of the airplane's fuel system and engine revealed no evidence of fuel. A State Police officer, who responded to the accident, stated that there was no smell of fuel at the accident site or on the pilot. No other anomalies with the airplane were revealed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N40512
- Reported as
- Cook Teenie TWO
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- C001
- Airframe hours
- 55
- Engine
- Volkswagen 1600CC, 54 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Robert F. Gaiser
- Registered owner
- Andrew Scott Cook
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- C20 · Berrien Springs, MI
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
- 36
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,500 total · 11 in this make and model · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BEH, 7 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.