Republic RC-3 N6444K

Summary

On 12 July 1982 at about 19:29 local time, a Republic RC-3 registered N6444K, operated by William R. Aikens, was involved in an accident near Saginaw, Michigan, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

12 July 1982 at 19:29

Classification

Accident

Location

Saginaw, Michigan, United States

Nearest airport

Harry Browne (3SG)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Republic RC-3

Registration

N6444K

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

William R. Aikens

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Harbor Springs → Troy

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI82DA246

Nobody was injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.