19960404010359I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Stolam RC-3 · Danbury, CT · April 4, 1996

Date
April 4, 1996 · 14:21 local
Place
Danbury, CT
Airport
Danbury Municipal
Phase of flight
Final Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N6657K
Reported as
Stolam RC3
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
1,679 total28 in this make and model40 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Narrative: the pilot reported that at approximately 3 miles to the north east of dxr at an altitude of 2500' the engine began to lose power. The pilot lowered the landing gear and made a successful emergency landing in a baseball field, causing only minor damage to the aircraft. Investigation revealed that the engine stopped due to fuel starvation. Additional investigation determined that the fuel tank bladder had collapsed within the fuel tank compartment. The bladder was removed and to determine the cause of this condition. It was noted that the attachment points designed to hold the tank in position had corroded off. The bladder was original equipment, and had been installed in 1946. A malfunction or defect report will be filed.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: THE PILOT REPORTED THAT AT APPROXIMATELY 3 MILES TO THE NORTH EAST OF DXR AT AN ALTITUDE OF 2500' THE ENGINE BEGAN TO LOSE POWER. THE PILOT LOWERED THE LANDING GEAR AND MADE A SUCCESSFUL EMERGENCY LANDING IN A BASEBALL FIELD, CAUSING ONLY MINOR DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE ENGINE STOPPED DUE TO FUEL STARVATION. ADDITIONAL INVESTIGATION DETERMINED THAT THE FUEL TANK BLADDER HAD COLLAPSED WITHIN THE FUEL TANK COMPARTMENT. THE BLADDER WAS REMOVED AND TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THIS CONDITION. IT WAS NOTED THAT THE ATTACHMENT POINTS DESIGNED TO HOLD THE TANK IN POSITION HAD CORRODED OFF. THE BLADDER WAS ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT, AND HAD BEEN INSTALLED IN 1946. A MALFUNCTION OR DEFECT REPORT WILL BE FILED.