Meyers Aircraft Co. OTW-145 accident near Waupun, Wisconsin, July 20, 2002
On July 20, 2002 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Meyers Aircraft Co. OTW-145, registered N34321, was substantially damaged in an accident near Waupun, Wisconsin. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the fuel pump failure. Contributing to the accident was the wheat field.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 20, 2002 · about 6:30 pm local time · cases in 2002
- Place
- Waupun, Wisconsin · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Meyers Aircraft Co. OTW-145
- Registration
- N34321 · registry record · serial 65
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During cruise flight, the engine suffered a complete loss of power. Manually actuating the fuel pump restored power for approximately 30 seconds. Unable to regain engine power, the pilot executed a forced landing into a wheat field. During the landing rollout the airplane nosed over. A post-accident examination revealed fuel leaking from the fuel pump air vent, as well as a hole in the fuel pump diaphragm.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 424 hours in all; 21 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: October 3, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 20 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 1, 2001; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,850 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Kinner R5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: C77 Belvidere IL at 5:00 pm
- Destination: OSH Oshkosh WI
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 6:35 pm from UNU, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N34321 on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Engine: Kinner R5 157 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Poplar Grove Airport · departed from
- Wittman Regional · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in Wisconsin 1,622 since 1982 · 226 in the last ten years
- Wisconsin 6,164 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CHI02LA195.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.