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19970615014069A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Luscom 8F · New Town, PA · June 15, 1997

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
June 15, 1997 · 13:30 local
Place
New Town, PA
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N1894B
NTSB investigation
NTSBNYC97LA114
Reported as
Luscom 8F
Reported engine
Continental C9012F
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
910 total300 in this make and model
N1894BRegistered now · Luscombe 8FS/N 6321 · Built 1948Airframe modelLuscombe 8FEngine modelContinental C90 seriesReciprocating

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.

Aircraft made an emergency landing in a field, struck a ditch, flipped over. (.4) according to the pilot, when the airplane departed, the fuel selector was selected to the left fuel tank and the left fuel gauge was indicating 1/2 full. The right fuel gauge was indicating full. While in cruise flight, the airplane's engine lost power and the pilot immediately switched the fuel selector position to the right fuel tank. The engine resumed making power for a few seconds and then lost power again. The pilot then switched the fuel selector back to the left tank. The airplane's engine power continued to fluctuate and the pilot performed a forced landing to a field. The airplane nosed over, and came to rest inverted. Examination of the airplane did not disclose any evidence of mechanical malfunction. Significant brown staining of vegetation underneath the left wing was noted. There was virtually no staining of vegetation located underneath the right wing. The engine performed satisfactorily during a post accident test run.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A FIELD, STRUCK A DITCH, FLIPPED OVER. (.4) ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, WHEN THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED, THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS SELECTED TO THE LEFT FUEL TANK AND THE LEFT FUEL GAUGE WAS INDICATING 1/2 FULL. THE RIGHT FUEL GAUGE WAS INDICATING FULL. WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT, THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE LOST POWER AND THE PILOT IMMEDIATELY SWITCHED THE FUEL SELECTOR POSITION TO THE RIGHT FUEL TANK. THE ENGINE RESUMED MAKING POWER FOR A FEW SECONDS AND THEN LOST POWER AGAIN. THE PILOT THEN SWITCHED THE FUEL SELECTOR BACK TO THE LEFT TANK. THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE POWER CONTINUED TO FLUCTUATE AND THE PILOT PERFORMED A FORCED LANDING TO A FIELD. THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER, AND CAME TO REST INVERTED. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE DID NOT DISCLOSE ANY EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION. SIGNIFICANT BROWN STAINING OF VEGETATION UNDERNEATH THE LEFT WING WAS NOTED. THERE WAS VIRTUALLY NO STAINING OF VEGETATION LOCATED UNDERNEATH THE RIGHT WING. THE ENGINE PERFORMED SATISFACTORILY DURING A POST ACCIDENT TEST RUN.

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 NYC97LA114Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportNew Town, PAThe pilot's improper fuel management, which resulted in an intermittent fuel supply, and a loss of engine power.Jun 15, 1997 · Substantial damage