SAGINAW, MI, USA
N6444K
REPUBLIC RC-3
THE PILOT STATED THAT HE TOOK OFF WITH 35 GAL OF FUEL ABOARD. AFTER ABOUT 128 NAUTICAL MILES, THE ENGINE LOST POWER. WHILE LANDING IN A MUDDY CORN FIELD WITH THE GEAR RETRACTED, THE AIRCRAFT SLID A SHORT DISTANCE THEN NOSED OVER. ONE OF THE FIRST PERSONS TO ARRIVE AT THE SCENE STATED THAT HE COULD NOT RECALL SMELLING FUEL. THE NEXT MORNING (AFTER THE AIRCRAFT WAS INVERTED ALL NIGHT), HE ARRIVED AT THE SCENE AND NOTED THAT THE FUEL CAP WAS DANGLING BY ITS CHAIN, BUT HE DID NOT RECALL THE CAP DANGLING ON THE NIGHT BEFORE. IT WAS NOTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN BROKEN INTO OVER NIGHT AND SEVERAL ARTICLES HAD BEEN REMOVED. AN INSPECTION AND OPERATIONAL CHECK OF THE ENGINE REVEALED NO PREIMPACT FAILURES.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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