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20001021039089A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Cessna 140 · Mcclure, PA · October 21, 2000

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
October 21, 2000 · 11:00 local
Place
Mcclure, PA
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N279W
NTSB investigation
NTSBIAD01LA007
Reported as
Cessna 140
Reported engine
AMTR O200
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
1,783 total107 in this make and model25 in the last 90 days

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) Lost power enroute 4500 feet (1N9) reading, PA (unv) state college via (seg) selinsgrove, PA. Emergency off field landing in farm field, unfortunately field was short and pilot decided to head into corn field at edge rather than trees. This caused a/c to flip. The aircraft received structural damage to the left wing. Left door forward and aft door post and landing gear box assembly. No injuries were received. Subsequent investigation revealed large particles of fuel tank sealant were flushed from the left fuel tank. Normal engine operation was noted during post crash testing. (.4) the airplane experienced a total loss of engine power about 1 hour after departure. The pilot performed a forced landing to a cornfield and the airplane nosed over during the landing roll. When the airplane was uprighted during recovery, fuel poured from both fuel tanks. The engine was then started and it ran without interruption. However, examination of the fuel system revealed a handful of sloshing-sealant particles blocked the fuel strainer in the left fuel tank. Examination of the airplane's maintenance records revealed the left fuel tank was sealed with sloshing sealant during a majo r repair 43 years prior to the accident.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) LOST POWER ENROUTE 4500 FEET (1N9) READING, PA (UNV) STATE COLLEGE VIA (SEG) SELINSGROVE, PA. EMERGENCY OFF FIELD LANDING IN FARM FIELD, UNFORTUNATELY FIELD WAS SHORT AND PILOT DECIDED TO HEAD INTO CORN FIELD AT EDGE RATHER THAN TREES. THIS CAUSED A/C TO FLIP. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING. LEFT DOOR FORWARD AND AFT DOOR POST AND LANDING GEAR BOX ASSEMBLY. NO INJURIES WERE RECEIVED. SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED LARGE PARTICLES OF FUEL TANK SEALANT WERE FLUSHED FROM THE LEFT FUEL TANK. NORMAL ENGINE OPERATION WAS NOTED DURING POST CRASH TESTING. (.4) THE AIRPLANE EXPERIENCED A TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER ABOUT 1 HOUR AFTER DEPARTURE. THE PILOT PERFORMED A FORCED LANDING TO A CORNFIELD AND THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER DURING THE LANDING ROLL. WHEN THE AIRPLANE WAS UPRIGHTED DURING RECOVERY, FUEL POURED FROM BOTH FUEL TANKS. THE ENGINE WAS THEN STARTED AND IT RAN WITHOUT INTERRUPTION. HOWEVER, EXAMINATION OF THE FUEL SYSTEM REVEALED A HANDFUL OF SLOSHING-SEALANT PARTICLES BLOCKED THE FUEL STRAINER IN THE LEFT FUEL TANK. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE'S MAINTENANCE RECORDS REVEALED THE LEFT FUEL TANK WAS SEALED WITH SLOSHING SEALANT DURING A MAJO R REPAIR 43 YEARS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT.

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 IAD01LA007Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportMcclure, PAThe loss of engine power over unsuitable terrain due to fuel starvation from a fuel strainer blocked with sealant particles.Oct 21, 2000 · Substantial damage