What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On September 4, 1999, at about 1845 eastern daylight time, a diamond DA20-A1, N196DA, registered to sky king aviation, operating as a 14 CFR part 91 personal flight, crashed while making a forced landing back to George to Lewis airport, Cedar Key, FL. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The private pilot reported no injuries. The flight was originating at the time of the accident. The pilot stated he did not conduct any performance data for his departure from George T. Lewis Airport. The departure runway is 2,335 feet long. He started the airplane engine, conducted an engine run-up, taxied out to runway 23, and back taxied down the runway for departure. The takeoff roll was normal. Before reaching rotation speed, the low fuel pressure warning light illuminated. He checked and verified that the fuel selector valve and electric fuel pump were in the on position. He elected not to abort the takeoff and the airplane became airborne at about 1,8000 feet. As soon as the airplane was airborne the engine started to sputter. He made a hard right turn in an attempt to return to the departure ru nway. Halfway through the turn the engine quit, the stall warning horn activated, due to low airspeed and high angle of bank he realized he was going to over shoot runway 05. He lowered the nose to regain airspeed, and made a hard left turn towards the runway. The next he remembered was the airplane being on the ground with smoke in the cockpit. He turned the fuel selector valve off, and was assisted out of the airplane by a person who came to render assistance. (.4)the pilot did not ensure that the fuel valve was on nor did he activate the electric fuel boost pump before takeoff. The low fuel warning light illuminated on takeoff roll with sufficient runway remaining to abort the takeoff. The pilot elected to continue the takeoff. The airplane experienced a loss of engine power and a forced landing was initiated. The airplane collided with trees, and crashed while maneuvering to a forced landing area. The engine was removed and mounted in a test stand. The engine started immediately and sustained normal operations. The mechanical fuel pump functioned normally in all operating conditions. The low fuel warning light did not FL icker or illuminate when using any combination of the mechanical or electric fuel pump. With the fuel valve turned to the off position the engine would run for about 2.4 minutes at full power before losing power.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON SEPTEMBER 4, 1999, AT ABOUT 1845 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A DIAMOND DA20-A1, N196DA, REGISTERED TO SKY KING AVIATION, OPERATING AS A 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT, CRASHED WHILE MAKING A FORCED LANDING BACK TO GEORGE TO LEWIS AIRPORT, CEDAR KEY, FL. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PRIVATE PILOT REPORTED NO INJURIES. THE FLIGHT WAS ORIGINATING AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT STATED HE DID NOT CONDUCT ANY PERFORMANCE DATA FOR HIS DEPARTURE FROM GEORGE T. LEWIS AIRPORT. THE DEPARTURE RUNWAY IS 2,335 FEET LONG. HE STARTED THE AIRPLANE ENGINE, CONDUCTED AN ENGINE RUN-UP, TAXIED OUT TO RUNWAY 23, AND BACK TAXIED DOWN THE RUNWAY FOR DEPARTURE. THE TAKEOFF ROLL WAS NORMAL. BEFORE REACHING ROTATION SPEED, THE LOW FUEL PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. HE CHECKED AND VERIFIED THAT THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE AND ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP WERE IN THE ON POSITION. HE ELECTED NOT TO ABORT THE TAKEOFF AND THE AIRPLANE BECAME AIRBORNE AT ABOUT 1,8000 FEET. AS SOON AS THE AIRPLANE WAS AIRBORNE THE ENGINE STARTED TO SPUTTER. HE MADE A HARD RIGHT TURN IN AN ATTEMPT TO RETURN TO THE DEPARTURE RU NWAY. HALFWAY THROUGH THE TURN THE ENGINE QUIT, THE STALL WARNING HORN ACTIVATED, DUE TO LOW AIRSPEED AND HIGH ANGLE OF BANK HE REALIZED HE WAS GOING TO OVER SHOOT RUNWAY 05. HE LOWERED THE NOSE TO REGAIN AIRSPEED, AND MADE A HARD LEFT TURN TOWARDS THE RUNWAY. THE NEXT HE REMEMBERED WAS THE AIRPLANE BEING ON THE GROUND WITH SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT. HE TURNED THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE OFF, AND WAS ASSISTED OUT OF THE AIRPLANE BY A PERSON WHO CAME TO RENDER ASSISTANCE. (.4)THE PILOT DID NOT ENSURE THAT THE FUEL VALVE WAS ON NOR DID HE ACTIVATE THE ELECTRIC FUEL BOOST PUMP BEFORE TAKEOFF. THE LOW FUEL WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON TAKEOFF ROLL WITH SUFFICIENT RUNWAY REMAINING TO ABORT THE TAKEOFF. THE PILOT ELECTED TO CONTINUE THE TAKEOFF. THE AIRPLANE EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER AND A FORCED LANDING WAS INITIATED. THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH TREES, AND CRASHED WHILE MANEUVERING TO A FORCED LANDING AREA. THE ENGINE WAS REMOVED AND MOUNTED IN A TEST STAND. THE ENGINE STARTED IMMEDIATELY AND SUSTAINED NORMAL OPERATIONS. THE MECHANICAL FUEL PUMP FUNCTIONED NORMALLY IN ALL OPERATING CONDITIONS. THE LOW FUEL WARNING LIGHT DID NOT FL ICKER OR ILLUMINATE WHEN USING ANY COMBINATION OF THE MECHANICAL OR ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP. WITH THE FUEL VALVE TURNED TO THE OFF POSITION THE ENGINE WOULD RUN FOR ABOUT 2.4 MINUTES AT FULL POWER BEFORE LOSING POWER.
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 N196DA · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.