What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(From .4) the certificated commercial pilot was departing a remote area in a tail wheel equipped airplane. The pilot reported the right fuel tank contained nine gallons of fuel, the left fuel tank contained 6 gallons, and the right fuel tank was selected. The airplane did not have a fuel selector position for "both" fuel tanks. The airplane did not have a header tank installed in the fuel system. The fuel tanks do not contain any internal baffles. The pilot said a crosswind was blowing from the west about 15 knots, and that during the initial climb, a guest of wind 'pushed the airplane sideways.' He said the sideways motion sloshed fuel away from the right fuel tank line, and the engine quit about 150 feet above the ground. He reported he switched the fuel selector to the left fuel tank, but the engine did not restart. The airplane's original fuel selector valve was an 'on/off' valve, and selection of a particular tank was not possible. The accident airplane's fuel valve was changed in the past to a three position valve having 'left', 'right', and 'off'. The installation of the valve was approved by an airplane mechanic and an FAA inspector. (-23) on 06/14/98, 17:00 adt, tundra tire equipped Aeronca 15AC N1023H, crashed during a forced landing. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant was not injured. 06/22/98 during telephone conversation with the NTSB, the pilot reported on t.o. 10 mi e of Homer near grewingk glacier Alaska state park. The engine quit at about 150 ft AGL. He switched from the lt fuel tank to the rt fuel tank but the engine did not restart. He made an emergency landing in large boulders. The MLG sheared off, the lt wing strut was damaged.
As the FAA filed it
(FROM .4) THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS DEPARTING A REMOTE AREA IN A TAIL WHEEL EQUIPPED AIRPLANE. THE PILOT REPORTED THE RIGHT FUEL TANK CONTAINED NINE GALLONS OF FUEL, THE LEFT FUEL TANK CONTAINED 6 GALLONS, AND THE RIGHT FUEL TANK WAS SELECTED. THE AIRPLANE DID NOT HAVE A FUEL SELECTOR POSITION FOR "BOTH" FUEL TANKS. THE AIRPLANE DID NOT HAVE A HEADER TANK INSTALLED IN THE FUEL SYSTEM. THE FUEL TANKS DO NOT CONTAIN ANY INTERNAL BAFFLES. THE PILOT SAID A CROSSWIND WAS BLOWING FROM THE WEST ABOUT 15 KNOTS, AND THAT DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB, A GUEST OF WIND 'PUSHED THE AIRPLANE SIDEWAYS.' HE SAID THE SIDEWAYS MOTION SLOSHED FUEL AWAY FROM THE RIGHT FUEL TANK LINE, AND THE ENGINE QUIT ABOUT 150 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. HE REPORTED HE SWITCHED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO THE LEFT FUEL TANK, BUT THE ENGINE DID NOT RESTART. THE AIRPLANE'S ORIGINAL FUEL SELECTOR VALVE WAS AN 'ON/OFF' VALVE, AND SELECTION OF A PARTICULAR TANK WAS NOT POSSIBLE. THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE'S FUEL VALVE WAS CHANGED IN THE PAST TO A THREE POSITION VALVE HAVING 'LEFT', 'RIGHT', AND 'OFF'. THE INSTALLATION OF THE VALVE WAS APPROVED BY AN AIRPLANE MECHANIC AND AN FAA INSPECTOR. (-23) ON 06/14/98, 17:00 ADT, TUNDRA TIRE EQUIPPED AERONCA 15AC N1023H, CRASHED DURING A FORCED LANDING. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT WAS NOT INJURED. 06/22/98 DURING TELEPHONE CONVERSATION WITH THE NTSB, THE PILOT REPORTED ON T.O. 10 MI E OF HOMER NEAR GREWINGK GLACIER ALASKA STATE PARK.THE ENGINE QUIT AT ABOUT 150 FT AGL. HE SWITCHED FROM THE LT FUEL TANK TO THE RT FUEL TANK BUT THE ENGINE DID NOT RESTART. HE MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN LARGE BOULDERS. THE MLG SHEARED OFF, THE LT WING STRUT WAS 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.
Other reports on N1023H · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.