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20000812015819A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Bbavia 7GCAA · Newell, CA · August 12, 2000

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
August 12, 2000 · 10:30 local
Place
Newell, CA
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N9648S
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX00LA295
Reported as
Bbavia 7GCAA
Reported engine
Lycoming O320A2B
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
546 total262 in this make and model17 in the last 90 days
N9648SRegistration cancelled Jan 3, 2005 · Champion 7GCAAS/N 61 · Built 1966Airframe modelChampion 7GCAAEngine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

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.

(-23) A/c sustained substantial damage during emergency landing in a field after reported engine failure. (.4)during the cross-country flight, the engine lost power and the airplane force landed in an open field. On landing roll, the left main wheel struck a depression collapsing the left main landing gear. Prior to departure, during her preflight inspection, the pilot had determined that the fuel tanks were full. After about 2 hours of flight, the pilot and her pilot-rated passenger elected to divert to an intermediate destination because of up and down drafts. Shortly after contacting approach control to receive flight following to the divert airfield, the engine sputtered and quit. Several hours after the accident a sheriff's deputy arrived at the scene. He reported no evidence of fuel spillage. A recovery crew got to the airplane 5 days later. The recovery personnel discovered that the fuel tank caps were in place and fit snugly, the fuel gascolator had been broken off, the fuel valve was in the 'off' position, there was no evidence of fuel spillage, and 2 gallons of fuel remained in the airplane, all in the right wing tank. The spark plugs had a normal appearance, cylinder compressions were good, and the intake and exhaust systems were open. The carburetor bowl was empty. The engine appeared capable of operating. Unusable fuel for the airplane is 1 gallon. During the postcrash examination, the right fuel tank vent check valve was inoperable.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) A/C SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING EMERGENCY LANDING IN A FIELD AFTER REPORTED ENGINE FAILURE. (.4)DURING THE CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT, THE ENGINE LOST POWER AND THE AIRPLANE FORCE LANDED IN AN OPEN FIELD. ON LANDING ROLL, THE LEFT MAIN WHEEL STRUCK A DEPRESSION COLLAPSING THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR. PRIOR TO DEPARTURE, DURING HER PREFLIGHT INSPECTION, THE PILOT HAD DETERMINED THAT THE FUEL TANKS WERE FULL. AFTER ABOUT 2 HOURS OF FLIGHT, THE PILOT AND HER PILOT-RATED PASSENGER ELECTED TO DIVERT TO AN INTERMEDIATE DESTINATION BECAUSE OF UP AND DOWN DRAFTS. SHORTLY AFTER CONTACTING APPROACH CONTROL TO RECEIVE FLIGHT FOLLOWING TO THE DIVERT AIRFIELD, THE ENGINE SPUTTERED AND QUIT. SEVERAL HOURS AFTER THE ACCIDENT A SHERIFF'S DEPUTY ARRIVED AT THE SCENE. HE REPORTED NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL SPILLAGE. A RECOVERY CREW GOT TO THE AIRPLANE 5 DAYS LATER. THE RECOVERY PERSONNEL DISCOVERED THAT THE FUEL TANK CAPS WERE IN PLACE AND FIT SNUGLY, THE FUEL GASCOLATOR HAD BEEN BROKEN OFF, THE FUEL VALVE WAS IN THE 'OFF' POSITION, THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL SPILLAGE, AND 2 GALLONS OF FUEL REMAINED IN THE AIRPLANE, ALL IN THE RIGHT WING TANK. THE SPARK PLUGS HAD A NORMAL APPEARANCE, CYLINDER COMPRESSIONS WERE GOOD, AND THE INTAKE AND EXHAUST SYSTEMS WERE OPEN. THE CARBURETOR BOWL WAS EMPTY. THE ENGINE APPEARED CAPABLE OF OPERATING. UNUSABLE FUEL FOR THE AIRPLANE IS 1 GALLON. DURING THE POSTCRASH EXAMINATION, THE RIGHT FUEL TANK VENT CHECK VALVE WAS INOPERABLE.

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 LAX00LA295Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportNewell, CAA hidden depression in the ground that resulted in the collapse of the landing gear during the forced landing roll.Aug 12, 2000 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N9648S · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19780616046039IRoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · Linkwood, MDAircraft landed on private sod field, rolled off runway into a plowed field, nosed over.Jun 16, 1978 · Minor damage