19960625015109A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Amtr 5151RG · Fond Du Lac, WI · June 25, 1996

Date: June 25, 1996 · 18:10 local
Place: Fond Du Lac, WI
Airport: Fond Du Lac County Airport
Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N5151N
NTSB investigation: NTSBCHI96LA215
Reported as: Amtr 5151RG
Reported engine: ROTAX 582LC
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 241 total35 in this make and model

N5151NRegistration cancelled Sep 10, 2004 · Conlin Thomas P LOEHLE AVIA 5151RGS/N 395-32-1090 · Built 1994 Airframe modelConlin Thomas P LOEHLE AVIA 5151RG Engine modelBombardier ROTAX (ALL)Reciprocating

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.

Engine sputtered during touch and go landings, landed off airport, struck a small tree and came to a stop. (.4)the pilot had been flying for about 1-1/2 hours. During the initial climb following a touch and go landing, the engine sputtered and stopped running. The pilot made an off-airport forced landing. He said he had mistakenly moved the fuel selector valve to the 'off' position after the engine sputtered. An on-scene investigation revealed the fuel selctor valve was located under the pilot's right leg and did not have detents for the fuel tank selector positions. (-23) the pilot was making take offs and landings at the Fond Du Lac airport Fond Du Lac, WI., when the engine sputtered onc climb out. The pilot then switched the selector to the fuselage fuel tank, but by error turned the fuel selector to the off position and the engine quit. He made an emergency landing off airport and the aircraft was substantially damaged.

As the FAA filed it

ENGINE SPUTTERED DURING TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS, LANDED OFF AIRPORT, STRUCK A SMALL TREE AND CAME TO A STOP. (.4)THE PILOT HAD BEEN FLYING FOR ABOUT 1-1/2 HOURS. DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB FOLLOWING A TOUCH AND GO LANDING, THE ENGINE SPUTTERED AND STOPPED RUNNING. THE PILOT MADE AN OFF-AIRPORT FORCED LANDING. HE SAID HE HAD MISTAKENLY MOVED THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE TO THE 'OFF' POSITION AFTER THE ENGINE SPUTTERED. AN ON-SCENE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE FUEL SELCTOR VALVE WAS LOCATED UNDER THE PILOT'S RIGHT LEG AND DID NOT HAVE DETENTS FOR THE FUEL TANK SELECTOR POSITIONS. (-23) THE PILOT WAS MAKING TAKE OFFS AND LANDINGS AT THE FOND DU LAC AIRPORT FOND DU LAC, WI., WHEN THE ENGINE SPUTTERED ONC CLIMB OUT. THE PILOT THEN SWITCHED THE SELECTOR TO THE FUSELAGE FUEL TANK, BUT BY ERROR TURNED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO THE OFF POSITION AND THE ENGINE QUIT. HE MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING OFF AIRPORT AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CHI96LA215Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportFond Du Lac, WIthe pilot's improper positioning of the fuel tank selector, which resulted in fuel starvation and loss of engine power. A factor relating to the accident was: the design/location of the fuel tank selector.Jun 25, 1996 · Substantial damage