Accident Details
On April 15, 2015, about 1900 central daylight time, a Universal Stinson 108-1, registration N9799G, was substantially damaged when it contacted a vehicle during a precautionary landing on a road near Macon, Mississippi. The private pilot onboard and the driver of the vehicle were not injured. The airplane was operated as a personal flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight, which departed Macon Municipal Airport (20M) about 1845 and was destined for a private runway also located in Macon.
The pilot reported that the engine began to run rough while nearing the destination. Realizing he would not reach the intended runway, he chose to perform a precautionary landing on a nearby road. The pilot stated that throughout the landing approach, he observed no traffic; however, the airplane touched down and came to rest on top of a truck, causing substantial damage to the fuselage and right wing strut. The pilot did not indicate whether he had applied carburetor heat during the flight. No examination of the airplane or engine was conducted after the accident. The pilot reported departing with 30 gallons of fuel.
Pilot Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land. His most recent Federal Aviation Administration third-class medical certificate was issued in January 2015. He reported 673 total hours of flight experience, of which 570 hours were in the accident airplane.
Aircraft Information
The tailwheel-equipped airplane was manufactured in 1947 and was equipped with a Franklin 6A4-150-B3, 150-horsepower reciprocating engine. The pilot reported that the airplane's total airframe and engine time was 1,101.7 hours. The most recent annual inspection was completed on February 16, 2015, about 11 flight hours before the accident.
Weather Conditions
Weather reported at Golden Triangle Regional Airport (GTR), Columbus, Mississippi, at 1850 included wind from 170° at 6 knots, 10 miles visibility, scattered clouds at 6,000 feet above ground level, temperature 24°C, dew point 17°C, and an altimeter setting of 29.98 inches of mercury. A carburetor icing probability chart indicated a potential for serious icing at glide power given the atmospheric conditions at the time of the accident.