# Accident 19970831024799A: Tcrafk DCO65TCRAFT, Fredericksburg, VA, August 31, 1997 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: August 31, 1997, 15:30 local time - Place: Fredericksburg, VA - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 37.8998° N, 79.4100° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.8998&lon=-79.4100&mi=10 - Aircraft: N4376B, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N4376B) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Taylorcraft DCO-65 (registry code 8850408, https://openairdocs.org/model/taylorcraft-dco-65) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: TCRAFK DCO65TCRAFT - Reported engine: CONT C8512 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 5,400 total, 25 in this make and model - NTSB investigation: [NTSB NYC97LA175](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC97LA175) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970831024799A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. LOST POWER ON DESCENT. APPLIED CARB HEAT. RESTARTED. TURNED OFF CARB HEAT. ENGINE QUIT. CRASH LANDED OPEN FIELD.(.4) ON AUGUST 31, 1997, APPROXIMATELY 1530 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A TAYLORCRAFT DCO-65, N4376B, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT IMPACTED THE GROUND DURING A FORCED LANDING NEAR FREDERICKSBURG, VIRGINIA. THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT THAT DEPARTED THE CHESAPEAKE AIRPORT, CHESAPEAKE, VIRGINIA, DESTINED FOR CULPEPER COUNTY AIRPORT, CULPEPER, VIRGINIA. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT 2,600 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL. HE HAD COMPLETED 45 MINUTES OF THE PLANNED 75 MINUTE FLIGHT. THE ENGINE SPEED DROPPED FROM 2,600 TO 1,300 RPM. THE PILOT THEN PERFORMED A FORCED LANDING TO AN OPEN FIELD. DURING THE DESCENT HE ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE ENGINE. THE PILOT APPLIED CARBURETOR HEAT, CHECKED THE MAGNETOS, ASSURED THE MIXTURE WAS FULL RICH AND THE FUEL VALVE WAS "ON". WHEN HE APPLIED CARBURETOR HEAT, THE ENGINE REGAINED PARTIAL POWER FOLLOWED BY A TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE PILOT STATED THAT DURING THE FORCED LANDING, HE WAS ALIGNED WITH A FIELD. AS HE FLEW CLOSER TO THE FIELD, HE SAW THAT IT WAS UNSUITABLE FOR LANDING, SO HE INITIATED A RIGHT TURN IN AN ATTEMPT TO LAND ON ANOTHER FIELD. WHILE MANEUVERING THE AIRPLANE TO THE SECOND FIELD, THE PILOT INADVERTENTLY STALLED THE AIRPLANE AND IMPACTED THE GROUND. HE FURTHER STATED THAT HE DID NOT KNOW WHAT CAUSED THE ENGINE TO FAIL. HE SPECULATED THAT THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A FUEL LINE CLOG OR CARBURETOR MIXTURE PROBLEM. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE BY THE FAA INSPECTOR REVEALED THAT THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST ABOUT 70 DEGREES NOSE DOWN IN AN OPEN FIELD. FUEL WAS PRESENT IN THE RIGHT MAIN FUEL TANK. NO FUEL WAS PRESENT IN THE LEFT MAIN FUEL TANK; HOWEVER, THAT FUEL TANK HAD RUPTURED. THE FUEL WAS FREE OF CONTAMINATION. THERE WERE NO REPORTS OF ANY PROBLEMS, BY OTHER PILOTS WHO HAD RECEIVED FUEL FROM THE SAME FUEL FARM AS THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS. AT 1550, THE WEATHER REPORTED AT THE RONALD REAGAN NATIONAL AIRPORT (DCA) WAS: WINDS FROM 180 AT 10 KNOTS, TEMPERATURE 83 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT, DEW POINT 70 DEGREES, VISIBILITY 10 STATUE MILES, 4,300 FEET SCATTERED, 25,000 FEET BROKEN. THE WEATHER AT DCA WAS COMPARED TO THE FAA CT-82/44 PUBLICATION: LIGHT AIRCRAFT PISTON ENGINE CARBURETOR ICE DETECTOR/WARNING DEVICE SENSITIVITY/EFFECTIVENESS. ACCORDING TO THE PUBLICATION, THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT SUSCEPTIBLE TO CARBURETOR ICE AT CRUISE POWER IN THOSE CONDITIONS. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB NYC97LA175](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC97LA175), Aug 31, 1997: Taylorcraft DCO-65 (N4376B), Fredericksburg, VA, substantial damage. Probable cause: A loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. ## Other reports on N4376B (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 20100417031789I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20100417031789I), Apr 17, 2010: Taylorcraft DCO-65 (N4376B), Crete, NE, Minor damage. On April 17, 2010, at approximately 1010 CDT, a Taylorcraft L-2, N4376B, was being taxied to runway 35 on the parallel taxiway at the Crete municipal airport,… From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.