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19980331005289A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Bbavia 7DC · Wright, WY · March 31, 1998

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
March 31, 1998 · 11:00 local
Place
Wright, WY
Phase of flight
Takeoff Ground Roll
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N4484E
NTSB investigation
NTSBFTW98LA169
Reported as
Bbavia 7DC
Reported engine
Lycoming O320*
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
874 total250 in this make and model80 in the last 90 days
N4484ERegistration cancelled Apr 11, 2011 · Aeronca 7DCS/N 7DC-104 · Built 1948Airframe modelAeronca 7DCEngine modelLycoming 0-290 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.

Cruising 100FT AGL engine quit. Force landed in field. Drained water in fuel hit snow departing. Veered into rocks. (.4)after about 2 hours of flight, the aircraft was in cruise at 100 feet AGL when the engine lost all power. The pilot landed in a field and drained water from the fuel. When he got the engine restarted, he attempted to take off, and during his takeoff roll the main landing gear entered a snow-covered area and the aircraft swerved into rocks. The pilot said that between flights he stored the aircraft with partially filled tanks in an area with high temperature variations over a 24-hour period. This practice enhances distillation of water in the tanks due to condensation. (-23)the pilot stated, the flight was in curise at about 100 feet above gound level (AGL) when the engine lost all power. The pilot performed a forced landing in the field and drained water from the fuel. After he got the engine restarted, he attempted a takeoff from the field and his main landing gear entered a snow covered area which caused the aircraft to swerve into rocks.

As the FAA filed it

CRUISING 100FT AGL ENGINE QUIT. FORCE LANDED IN FIELD. DRAINED WATER IN FUEL HIT SNOW DEPARTING. VEERED INTO ROCKS. (.4)AFTER ABOUT 2 HOURS OF FLIGHT, THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN CRUISE AT 100 FEET AGL WHEN THE ENGINE LOST ALL POWER. THE PILOT LANDED IN A FIELD AND DRAINED WATER FROM THE FUEL. WHEN HE GOT THE ENGINE RESTARTED, HE ATTEMPTED TO TAKE OFF, AND DURING HIS TAKEOFF ROLL THE MAIN LANDING GEAR ENTERED A SNOW-COVERED AREA AND THE AIRCRAFT SWERVED INTO ROCKS. THE PILOT SAID THAT BETWEEN FLIGHTS HE STORED THE AIRCRAFT WITH PARTIALLY FILLED TANKS IN AN AREA WITH HIGH TEMPERATURE VARIATIONS OVER A 24-HOUR PERIOD. THIS PRACTICE ENHANCES DISTILLATION OF WATER IN THE TANKS DUE TO CONDENSATION. (-23)THE PILOT STATED, THE FLIGHT WAS IN CURISE AT ABOUT 100 FEET ABOVE GOUND LEVEL (AGL) WHEN THE ENGINE LOST ALL POWER. THE PILOT PERFORMED A FORCED LANDING IN THE FIELD AND DRAINED WATER FROM THE FUEL. AFTER HE GOT THE ENGINE RESTARTED, HE ATTEMPTED A TAKEOFF FROM THE FIELD AND HIS MAIN LANDING GEAR ENTERED A SNOW COVERED AREA WHICH CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO SWERVE INTO ROCKS.

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 FTW98LA169Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportWright, WYThe pilot's use of unsuitable terrain for takeoff. Factors were snow and rock covered terrain, inadequate aircraft preflight, improper aircraft servicing, and the fuel contaminated by water.Mar 31, 1998 · Substantial damage