Primary finding
Probable cause
A broken mixture control cable resulting in fuel starvation.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The airplane was in cruise flight on a cross country when a total loss of engine power occurred. The pilot could not get engine to restart, and made a forced landing on a rural road near malden, missouri. The wing struck a road sign during the landing roll. The examination of the engine revealed the mixture control cable had broken at the mixture control swivel fitting, and the mixture had moved to the idle cutoff position.
Source record
Factual narrative
On June 19, 1992, at 1500 central daylight time, a Grumman AA-5A, N9941U, had a loss of engine power, and the pilot made a forced landing near Malden, Missouri. The airplane sustained substantial damage when it struck a road sign during landing rollout on a rural road. Neither the private pilot, nor the three passengers aboard the airplane were injured. The personal flight originated at the Roanoke Municipal Airport, Roanoke, Virginia, at 1130 eastern daylight time, with an intended destination of Malden, Missouri. No flight plan was filed, and visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time. The airplane was examined by an FAA certificated mechanic at Malden Ag-Craft, Inc. The examination revealed the mixture control wire had broken at the mixture control swivel, and the mixture control had moved to the idle cutoff position. -