What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On December 19, 1998, at 1430 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-18-150, N82096, was substantially damage after a loss of power and subsequent forced landing, in the vicinity of Fairfield, Pennsylvania. The certificated commercial pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the glider tow flight that originated from mid Atlantic Soaring (W73), Fairfield, Pennsylvania, about 1330. No flight plan was filed and the flight was conducted under 14 CFR part 91. According to the pilot, he preflighted the tow-plane and preformed a local area flight to ensure it was operating properly. He then departed W73, at 1330, to tow a glider to frederick muni airport (fdk), frederick, Maryland. After departing with the glider in tow, the pilot executed a gradual climb to 6,500 above mean sea level. At 6,500 MSL and in the vicinity of fdk, the glider released and the tow-plane pilot proceeded to W73. Approximately 2 miles from W73, the pilot established the tow-plane on final for runway 33, selected flaps down, and noticed that the left fuel tank was "half full" and the right tank was a "little less" then half full. The pilot repositioned the fuel selector to the left tank, and approximately 1 minute later and 1,000 feet above the ground, the engine experienced a loss of power. The pilot unsuccessfully attempted a restart, reselected the right fuel tank, and attempted another restart. When the engine did not respond, the pilot continued the forced landing toward the airport; however, the pilot determined the airplane would not clear a line of trees on the approach end of the runway. He then identified a "small yard" approximately 300 feet long to his right and decided to attempt the forced landing to it. After touch down the pilot was unable to stop the airplane before it reached the end of the yard. The airplane departed the yard at 20 to 30 mph and impacted several trees before it came to a stop. (.4)the pilot was returning to land after releasing a glider. Two miles from the airport, the pilot established the airplane on final, selected flaps down, and noticed that hte left fuel tank was 'half full' and the right fuel tank a 'little less' then half full. The pilot repositioned the fuel selector to the left tank, and 1 minute later and 1,000 feet above the ground, the engine experienced a loss of power. After successuflly attempting a restart, the pilot reselected the right fuel tank, pulled the carburetor heat, pumped the throttle, and attempted another start. When the engine did not respond, the pilot completed the forced landing, and the airplane was substantially damaged during rollout. After the accident the engine idled smoothly. The fuel selector was switched between left tank, right tank, and off. The engine stopped only when close to the off detent. On a carburetor icing probability chart, condition for the accident fell on the boarder between serious icing with glide power, and serious icing with cruise or climb power. 'Carburetor heat should be used whenever atmospheric conditions indicating icing is a possibility and the engine is being operated at 75 percent power and below.'
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON DECEMBER 19, 1998, AT 1430 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-18-150, N82096, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGE AFTER A LOSS OF POWER AND SUBSEQUENT FORCED LANDING, IN THE VICINITY OF FAIRFIELD, PENNSYLVANIA. THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE GLIDER TOW FLIGHT THAT ORIGINATED FROM MID ATLANTIC SOARING (W73), FAIRFIELD, PENNSYLVANIA, ABOUT 1330. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED AND THE FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE PREFLIGHTED THE TOW-PLANE AND PREFORMED A LOCAL AREA FLIGHT TO ENSURE IT WAS OPERATING PROPERLY. HE THEN DEPARTED W73, AT 1330, TO TOW A GLIDER TO FREDERICK MUNI AIRPORT (FDK), FREDERICK, MARYLAND. AFTER DEPARTING WITH THE GLIDER IN TOW, THE PILOT EXECUTED A GRADUAL CLIMB TO 6,500 ABOVE MEAN SEA LEVEL. AT 6,500 MSL AND IN THE VICINITY OF FDK, THE GLIDER RELEASED AND THE TOW-PLANE PILOT PROCEEDED TO W73. APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES FROM W73, THE PILOT ESTABLISHED THE TOW-PLANE ON FINAL FOR RUNWAY 33, SELECTED FLAPS DOWN, AND NOTICED THAT THE LEFT FUEL TANK WAS "HALF FULL" AND THE RIGHT TANK WAS A "LITTLE LESS" THEN HALF FULL. THE PILOT REPOSITIONED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO THE LEFT TANK, AND APPROXIMATELY 1 MINUTE LATER AND 1,000 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, THE ENGINE EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER. THE PILOT UNSUCCESSFULLY ATTEMPTED A RESTART, RESELECTED THE RIGHT FUEL TANK, AND ATTEMPTED ANOTHER RESTART. WHEN THE ENGINE DID NOT RESPOND, THE PILOT CONTINUED THE FORCED LANDING TOWARD THE AIRPORT; HOWEVER, THE PILOT DETERMINED THE AIRPLANE WOULD NOT CLEAR A LINE OF TREES ON THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY. HE THEN IDENTIFIED A "SMALL YARD" APPROXIMATELY 300 FEET LONG TO HIS RIGHT AND DECIDED TO ATTEMPT THE FORCED LANDING TO IT. AFTER TOUCH DOWN THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE AIRPLANE BEFORE IT REACHED THE END OF THE YARD. THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED THE YARD AT 20 TO 30 MPH AND IMPACTED SEVERAL TREES BEFORE IT CAME TO A STOP. (.4)THE PILOT WAS RETURNING TO LAND AFTER RELEASING A GLIDER. TWO MILES FROM THE AIRPORT, THE PILOT ESTABLISHED THE AIRPLANE ON FINAL, SELECTED FLAPS DOWN, AND NOTICED THAT HTE LEFT FUEL TANK WAS 'HALF FULL' AND THE RIGHT FUEL TANK A 'LITTLE LESS' THEN HALF FULL. THE PILOT REPOSITIONED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO THE LEFT TANK, AND 1 MINUTE LATER AND 1,000 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, THE ENGINE EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER. AFTER SUCCESSUFLLY ATTEMPTING A RESTART, THE PILOT RESELECTED THE RIGHT FUEL TANK, PULLED THE CARBURETOR HEAT, PUMPED THE THROTTLE, AND ATTEMPTED ANOTHER START. WHEN THE ENGINE DID NOT RESPOND, THE PILOT COMPLETED THE FORCED LANDING, AND THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING ROLLOUT. AFTER THE ACCIDENT THE ENGINE IDLED SMOOTHLY. THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS SWITCHED BETWEEN LEFT TANK, RIGHT TANK, AND OFF. THE ENGINE STOPPED ONLY WHEN CLOSE TO THE OFF DETENT. ON A CARBURETOR ICING PROBABILITY CHART, CONDITION FOR THE ACCIDENT FELL ON THE BOARDER BETWEEN SERIOUS ICING WITH GLIDE POWER, AND SERIOUS ICING WITH CRUISE OR CLIMB POWER. 'CARBURETOR HEAT SHOULD BE USED WHENEVER ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS INDICATING ICING IS A POSSIBILITY AND THE ENGINE IS BEING OPERATED AT 75 PERCENT POWER AND BELOW.'
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 N82096 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.