# Accident 19991204033309A: Amtr PITTSS1C, Creedmore, NC, December 4, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: December 4, 1999, 17:10 local time - Place: Creedmore, NC - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 36.1198° N, 78.6803° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.1198&lon=-78.6803&mi=10 - Aircraft: N177J, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N177J-2018-01-11) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Pitts Special JR-1 (registry code 72202PY, https://openairdocs.org/model/pitts-special-jr-1) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Continental C90 series (registry code 17009, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-c90-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: AMTR PITTSS1C - Reported engine: CONT C9012F - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 2,842 total, 25 in this make and model, 33 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA00LA039](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA00LA039) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19991204033309A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19) ON DECEMBER 4, 1999, ABOUT 1710 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A PITTS SPECIAL S1C, N177J, REGISTERED TO A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL, OPERATING AS A TITLE 14 PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT, CRASHED WHILE ATTEMPTING A FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENIGNE POWER NEAR CREEDMOOR, NORTH CAROLINA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRPLANE RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND THE ATP AND FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR-RATED PILOT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED KINSTON, NORTH CAROLINA, ABOUT 1 HOUR BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO AN FAA INSPECTOR, THE PILOT STATED HE WAS RETURNING TO HIS HOME FIELD AFTER HAVING ATTENDED AN AIRMAN SAFETY SEMINAR. HE BECAME CONCERNED WITH IMPENDING NIGHTFALL AND WAS IN THE PROCESS OF DIVERTING TO AN AIRPARK, SHORT OF HIS HOME FIELD, WHEN THE ENGINE PROBLEM OCCURRED. (-23) WHILE FLYING FROM KINSTON REGIONAL AIRPORT (ISO) TO PERSON COUNTY AIRPORT (TDF) VFR AT 2500 FEET, PILOT WAS STARTING TO BECOME CONCERNED ABOUT REACHING DESTINATION BEFORE NIGHTFALL. AS A PRECAUTION, THE PILOT MADE THE DECISION TO DIVERT FROM PLANNED ROUTE AND LAND AT LAKE RIDGE AIRPORT NORTH OF DURHAM. SHORTLY AFTER STARTING DESCENT , THE ENGINE LOST POWER AND THE PILOT SPOTTED A FIELD BELOW HIM. PILOT SET UP A STANDARD LANDING PATTERN FOR THE FIELD, DOWN WIND, BASE AND FINAL. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN ON SOFT PLOWED DIRT AND AS THE AIRCRAFT SLOWED, THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED OVER ONTO THE TOP WING AND TAIL. (.4)ON DECEMBER 4, 1999, ABOUT 1710 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A PITTS SPECIAL S1C, N177J, REGISTERED TO A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL, OPERATING AS A TITLE 14 PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT, CRASHED WHILE ATTEMPTING A FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER NEAR CREEDMOOR, NORTH CAROLINA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRPLANE RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT AND FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR-RATED PILOT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED KINSTON, NORTH CAROLINA, A BOUT 1 HOUR BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT STATED HE WAS RETURNING TO HIS HOME FIELD AFTER HAVING ATTENDED AN AIRMAN SAFETY SEMINAR. HE BECAME CONCERNED WITH IMPENDING NIGHTFALL AND WAS IN THE PROCESS OF DIVERTING TO AN AIRPARK, SHORT OF HIS HOME FIELD, WHEN THE POWER LOSS OCCURRED. HE PERFORMED AN EMERGENCY DESCENT AND LANDING TO A CLEARED PLOWED AND FURROWED FARM FIELD, AND AS HE NEARED HIS TOUCHDOWN POINT, HE SAW THAT HIS CHOICE OF LANDING INTO THE WIND WOULD PUT HIS LANDING ROLL ACROSS THE FURROWS. AS HIS LANDING ROLL SLOWED, THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER. THE PILOT STATED HE COULD NOT REMEMBER SWITCHING THE FUEL SELECTOR TO THE "RESERVE" POSITION. HE STATED HE HAS HAD THE AIRPLANE UP FOR 2.5 HOURS WITHOUT HAVING TO SWITCH TO THE RESERVE POSITION. HE STATED THAT TRIP TIME ON THE FUEL LOAD WAS 2.6 HOURS AT THE CRASH SITE, AND THAT HE ESTIMATED THE TRIP TIME WOULD HAVE BEEN 2.8 HOURS, HAD HE MADE IT BACK HOME. HE STATED THAT THE TANK WAS TOPPED OFF 2 DAYS BEFORE HIS KINSTON TRIP, BUT THAT HE HAD CHANGED THE OIL, PERFORMED A RUNUP, AND FLOWN FOR ABOUT 0.5 HOUR SINCE THAT TOP-OFF. HE FURTHER STATED THAT HE HAD BOUGHT THE AIRPLANE IN AUGUST, 1999, AND HAD ABOUT 25 HOURS OF FLIGHT TIME IN THE AIRPLANE. ACCORDING TO AN FAA INSPECTOR, POSTCRASH EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THE ENGINE WAS NOT ROTATING AT TIME OF IMPACT, AND THE FUEL SYSTEM CONTAINED SEVERAL, (UNMEASURED) GALLONS OF FUEL ABOARD. THE SINGLE FUEL TANK CAPACITY IS ABOUT 21.5 GALLONS, DIVIDED INTO A NORMAL, (ABOUT 16.5 GAL.) AND A RESERVE, (ABOUT 5.0 GAL.) COMPARTMENT OF THE SAME TANK. MOUNTED ON THE SIDE OF AND EXTERNAL TO THE FUEL TANK IS A CLEAR PLASTIC TUBING SIGHT GAGE WITH A GRADUATION MARK ON THE OUTSIDE AND A FLOATING BALL INSIDE. THIS IS VISIBLE FROM THE COCKPIT AND WOULD INDICATE TO THE PILOT WHEN THE FUEL LEVEL IS INTO THE RESERVE COMPARTMENT. THE FUEL SELECTOR IS LABELED, "NORMAL", "RESERVE", AND "OFF". WHEN ASKED, THE PILOT WAS NOT CLEAR ABOUT HOW MUCH TIME COULD BE FLOWN ON THE NORMAL FUEL SELECTOR POSITION OR HOW MUCH TIME BEFORE THE RESERVE TANK WAS REQUIRED. THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS FOUND IN THE "OFF" POSITION. POSTCRASH EXAMINATION OF THE FUEL SYSTEM REVEALED THAT THERE WAS NO FUEL IN THE GASCOLATOR OR IN ANY OF THE FUEL LINES DOWNSTREAM OF THE GASCOLATOR. WHEN THE INSPECTOR SELECTED "NORMAL" AND ENERGIZED THE ELECTRIC BOOST PUMP, HE GOT NO FUEL FLOW. WHEN HE SELECTED "RESERVE" AND ENERGIZED THE BOOST PUMP, THE GASCOLATOR IMMEDIATELY FILLED WITH FUEL. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB MIA00LA039](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA00LA039), Dec 4, 1999: Pitts S1C (N177J), Creedmore, NC, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to select the reserve position of the fuel tank resulting in loss of engine power due to fuel starvation and a nose over during a forced landing. ## Other reports on N177J (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 20040717018399A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20040717018399A), Jul 17, 2004: Amtr PITTSS1C (N177J), Durham, NC, Destroyed, 1 fatal. (-23) The subject aircraft departed wilson industrial airport (W03) at approximately 1000 hours local time on 07/17/2004. At approximately 1045 the aircraft… From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.