N89JW

On August 27, 2000, at 1927 central daylight time, an amateur-built Widner Pietenpol Aircamper, N89JW, piloted by a private pilot, was destroyed during a forced landing, near Andover, Minnesota, following a loss of engine power while in cruise flight. The personal 14 CFR Part 91 flight was not on a flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, sustained minor injuries. The flight originated from Alexandria, Minnesota at 1720, and was en route to the Anoka County-Blaine Airport (ANE), Minneapolis, Minnesota.

In a written statement, the pilot said that, at about 2 hours into the flight, he, "...heard, or felt a single jolt or retort. The plane continued to function normally. A short time later it began to smell 'hot' in the cockpit. Gauges were normal... Almost immediately I noted my cylinder head temperature had climbed to 400 [degrees] F." The pilot said that he subsequently saw blue smoke from the left side of the engine and it began to run rough. The pilot attempted to land in a "weed" field about 10 miles northwest of ANE. He said that during the landing he, "...was approaching the trees at the end of the field so I side slipped to the ground striking the [right] wing, then the nose and coming to rest facing the direction I came from."

The pilot reported that subsequent to the accident, he found that the number 4 cylinder and piston were damaged. He found the cylinder cracked and the piston skirt broken. He reported the extent of the damage to the aircraft as "destroyed". The pilot reported no other anomalies.