- Date
- August 21, 1999, 10:15 local (15:15 UTC)
- Place
- Granite City, IL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N90904Piper PA-18-150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 18, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19990821047709A
- Case key
- 47133
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
Loss of power for undetermined reason(s) and the rough/uneven.
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 during cruise flight the engine lost power. During the forced landing on rough and uneven terrain the airplane was substantially damaged. The pilot said he did not know the nature or origin of the loss of engine power. Subsequent to the accident, but after the airplane was moved to a location away from the accident site, an inspection of the engine and airframe failed to reveal any mechanical anomalies. The top spark plugs were removed and had brown deposits on them. The wings had been removed and no fuel remained in the fuel tanks; however, what fuel was present in the lines appeared blue in color, and was free of contamination.
Factual narrative
On August 21, 1999, at 1015 central daylight time, a Piper PA-18-150, N90904, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing following a partial loss of engine power, near Granite City, Illinois. The pilot said the landing area was rough and uneven. The pilot and one passenger reported no injuries. The personal 14 CFR Part 91 flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan was on file. The local flight departed Creve Coeur, Missouri, time unknown.
The pilot told officials that he did not know the nature or origin of the loss of engine power. Subsequent to the accident, but after the airplane was moved to a location away from the accident site, an inspection of the engine and airframe failed to reveal any mechanical anomalies. The top spark plugs were removed and had brown deposits on them. The wings had been removed and no fuel remained in the fuel tanks; however, what fuel was present in the lines appeared blue in color, and was free of contamination.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N90904
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-8109039
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Sons Of The Tundra
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 1H0 · Creve Coeur, MO
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
- 37
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 2,140 total · 90 in this make and model · 1,937 as pilot in command · 120 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ALN, 15 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.