Accident Description
The airplane was landed in a corn field after the pilot experienced a loss of engine power while in cruise flight. The pilot reported that upon reaching 7,500 feet, he was adjusting the engine to cruise power when the engine went to idle. He pulled the throttle out, pushed it back in, and obtained a "little power surge." When he adjusted the throttle a second time, there was no change in power. The pilot stated, "I attempted a third time and it came out of the dash (about a foot)." He then threaded the cable back into the instrument panel and established communications with air traffic control. The controller provided a vector to the closest airport. At an altitude of 3,000 to 3,500 feet, the pilot realized the airport was too far away and that he needed to select a field for landing. He chose a corn field and made a "textbook" landing, but the airplane "weathervaned" shortly after touchdown. The pilot later stated, "I informed them [air traffic control] that the airplane looked to be in pretty good shape, not realizing the amount of damage that corn can do to sheet metal!"
Investigation Findings
The throttle cable was removed from the airplane and examined at the National Transportation Safety Board's Materials Laboratory. Examination revealed that both the stranded cable and the inner spring failed as a result of wear followed by fatigue cracking. Both the brass tube end of the assembly and the inner plunger showed an area of wear. The source of the wear could not be determined.