19970921027639A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Bbavia 7ECA · Spurgeon Rowell, NC · September 21, 1997

Date: September 21, 1997 · 16:07 local
Place: Spurgeon Rowell, NC
Airport: Spurgeon Rowell
Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N1817G
NTSB investigation: NTSBATL97LA138
Reported as: Bbavia 7ECA
Reported engine: Lycoming O320A2B
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 7,000 total2,000 in this make and model200 in the last 90 days

N1817GRegistered now · Champion 7ECAS/N 409 · Built 1968 Airframe modelChampion 7ECA Engine modelLycoming 0-235 series4 cycle

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 missing on climbout. Reversed course. Landed downwind long. Ran off end runway. S truck a residence. (.4)the pilot stated that he stopped to refuel after 2.5 hours of banner towing operations. After refueling, he departed and climbed to 250 feet above ground level (AGL), where the engine lost power. The pilot returned to the airport for an emergency landing. The airplane landed with insufficient runway to stop. It overran the runway and struck a building. An FAA inspector stated that the pilot had refueled from a 55 gallon drum and immediately taken fuel samples. An FAA inspector took fuel samples from the gascolator and carburetor, and found that both areas contained large amounts of water. (-23)pilot stated that he had refueled and after take off the engine started running rough and sputtering, he stated that he turned back to the runway landed long, and ran off the end of the runway hitting a house with the right wing.

As the FAA filed it

ENGINE MISSING ON CLIMBOUT. REVERSED COURSE. LANDED DOWNWIND LONG. RAN OFF END RUNWAY. S TRUCK A RESIDENCE. (.4)THE PILOT STATED THAT HE STOPPED TO REFUEL AFTER 2.5 HOURS OF BANNER TOWING OPERATIONS. AFTER REFUELING, HE DEPARTED AND CLIMBED TO 250 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL), WHERE THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THE PILOT RETURNED TO THE AIRPORT FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING. THE AIRPLANE LANDED WITH INSUFFICIENT RUNWAY TO STOP. IT OVERRAN THE RUNWAY AND STRUCK A BUILDING. AN FAA INSPECTOR STATED THAT THE PILOT HAD REFUELED FROM A 55 GALLON DRUM AND IMMEDIATELY TAKEN FUEL SAMPLES. AN FAA INSPECTOR TOOK FUEL SAMPLES FROM THE GASCOLATOR AND CARBURETOR, AND FOUND THAT BOTH AREAS CONTAINED LARGE AMOUNTS OF WATER. (-23)PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD REFUELED AND AFTER TAKE OFF THE ENGINE STARTED RUNNING ROUGH AND SPUTTERING, HE STATED THAT HE TURNED BACK TO THE RUNWAY LANDED LONG, AND RAN OFF THE END OF THE RUNWAY HITTING A HOUSE WITH THE RIGHT WING.

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 ATL97LA138Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportFairview, NCfuel contamination, and the pilot's inadequate preflight of the airplane. A factor relating to the accident was: an inability to attain a proper touchdown point, which led to the runway overrun.Sep 21, 1997 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N1817G · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19860810047129IFcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise · New York, NYRPM drop and oil from cowling dropped banner and landed jfk. Unable to taxi due to locked brakes. Not airworthy.Aug 10, 1986