WILLMAR, MN, USA
N8886J
Piper PA-28-180
The pilot departed at 1100 MST. He had intended to land at Imperial, Nebraska, for fuel, but instrument weather conditions precluded him from landing. He continued to fly to his destination airport and reported there were 'no holes in the clouds' between Nebraska and Minnesota. He was flying at 11,500 feet msl. About 30 minutes from Willmar, Minnesota, he radioed a Flight Service Station and started a descent into instrument meteorological conditions. He did not possess an instrument flight rating. The pilot reported the engine lost power, but he switched fuel tanks, and the engine restarted. The engine lost power again a short time later when the airplane was about 300 feet above ground level. The pilot executed a forced landing onto a farm. The pilot reported that he 'should have just used my GPS and went in on runway 10 before I ran out of gas.'
On November 13, 1997, at 1730 central standard time, a Piper PA-28-180, N8886J, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing due to fuel exhaustion. The private pilot reported no injuries. The 14 CFR Part 91 flight had departed from Pueblo Memorial Airport, Pueblo, Colorado, en route to Willmar Municipal Airport, Willmar, Minnesota, when it landed in a farmers field, 6.2 nautical miles from the Willmar Municipal Airport. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed but no flight plan had been filed. The pilot reported that he had departed Pueblo, Colorado, at 1100 mountain standard time. He had intended to land at Imperial, Nebraska, for fuel but instrument weather conditions precluded him from landing. The pilot reported that he continued to fly to his destination airport at Willmar, Minnesota. He reported that there were "no holes in the clouds" between Nebraska and Minnesota. The pilot reported he was flying at 11,500 feet mean sea level. When he was about 30 minutes from Willmar, Minnesota, he radioed a Flight Service Station. He started a descent into instrument meteorological conditions. The pilot did not possess an instrument flight rating. The pilot reported that the engine failed once. He switched fuel tanks and the engine started. The engine failed again a short time later when the airplane was about 300 feet above ground level. The pilot executed a forced landing into a farmer's field. The pilot reported that he "should have just used my GPS and went in on runway 10 before I ran out of gas."
the pilot's improper planning/decision, his continued flight into known adverse weather, and subsequent fuel exhaustion, which resulted in loss of engine power, and a forced landing. Factors related to the accident were: the adverse weather conditions, the pilot's lack of an instrument flight experience, and darkness at the time of the forced landing.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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