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20010619024209A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Amrgen AA-1B · Oak Hill, FL · June 19, 2001

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
June 19, 2001 · 09:45 local
Place
Oak Hill, FL
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N8957L
NTSB investigation
NTSBMIA01LA167
Reported as
Amrgen AA1B
Reported engine
Lycoming O235L2C
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Student
Pilot’s flight hours
130 total50 in this make and model50 in the last 90 days
N8957LRegistration cancelled May 17, 2013 · Grumman American Avn. AA-1BS/N AA1B-0407 · Built 1974Airframe modelGrumman American Avn. AA-1BEngine modelLycoming 0-235 series4 cycle

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) The engine reportedly lost power during cruise at 1,200 ft. AGL, about 8 minutes after the PIC switched fuel tanks. The boost pump was reportedly on at the time. An unsuccessful attempt was made to restart the engine, and a forced landing was made on a rural, dirt road. During roll-out, the right wing impacted trees and mailboxes and separated from the aircraft. Investigation revealed that the airplane was fueled with automotive gas (per STC) and that it had sufficient fuel quantity on board. Exam of the fuel system revealed no evidence of water contamination. Fuel drained from the carburetor bowl had a slightly murky appearance to it, with a small amount of fine, particulate matter in suspension. The carburetor and boost pump filter screens were clean. During subsequent attempts to test run the engine, it started, developed power, then suddenly shut down. Further disassembly/examination of the entire fuel system (lines, selector valve, fuel pumps, etc.) And the induction system revealed no evidence of mechanical failure or obstruction. The carb operated normally when tested on another engine. The muffler was missing part of the internal baffle, but no evidence of exhaust system obstruction was found. (.4) according to the pilot, 15 minutes after departure and 5 minutes after switching fuel source from left wing tank to right wing tank, he started losing engine rpm's as well as fuel pressure indications. He was at such an altitude, (1,200 feet, AGL) that he had no time to complete the "engine failure during cruise" checklist, and executed an emergency landing to a rural road. The pilot and a passenger escaped injury, but the aircraft sustained substantial damage. Postcrash testing of all fuel and ignition components, as well as the core engine revealed no malfunctions. Evidence of fuel contamination was found in fuel samples taken from the carburetor bowl, and disassembly examination of the carburetor revealed other, caked contaminate in the recesses of the carburetor bowl. The aircraft was stc'ed for use of automotive fuel, and 87 octane automotive fuel was being used at the time of the accident.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE ENGINE REPORTEDLY LOST POWER DURING CRUISE AT 1,200 FT. AGL, ABOUT 8 MINUTES AFTER THE PIC SWITCHED FUEL TANKS. THE BOOST PUMP WAS REPORTEDLY ON AT THE TIME. AN UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO RESTART THE ENGINE, AND A FORCED LANDING WAS MADE ON A RURAL, DIRT ROAD. DURING ROLL-OUT, THE RIGHT WING IMPACTED TREES AND MAILBOXES AND SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS FUELED WITH AUTOMOTIVE GAS (PER STC) AND THAT IT HAD SUFFICIENT FUEL QUANTITY ON BOARD. EXAM OF THE FUEL SYSTEM REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF WATER CONTAMINATION. FUEL DRAINED FROM THE CARBURETOR BOWL HAD A SLIGHTLY MURKY APPEARANCE TO IT, WITH A SMALL AMOUNT OF FINE, PARTICULATE MATTER IN SUSPENSION. THE CARBURETOR AND BOOST PUMP FILTER SCREENS WERE CLEAN. DURING SUBSEQUENT ATTEMPTS TO TEST RUN THE ENGINE, IT STARTED, DEVELOPED POWER, THEN SUDDENLY SHUT DOWN. FURTHER DISASSEMBLY/EXAMINATION OF THE ENTIRE FUEL SYSTEM (LINES, SELECTOR VALVE, FUEL PUMPS, ETC.) AND THE INDUCTION SYSTEM REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL FAILURE OR OBSTRUCTION. THE CARB OPERATED NORMALLY WHEN TESTED ON ANOTHER ENGINE. THE MUFFLER WAS MISSING PART OF THE INTERNAL BAFFLE, BUT NO EVIDENCE OF EXHAUST SYSTEM OBSTRUCTION WAS FOUND. (.4) ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, 15 MINUTES AFTER DEPARTURE AND 5 MINUTES AFTER SWITCHING FUEL SOURCE FROM LEFT WING TANK TO RIGHT WING TANK, HE STARTED LOSING ENGINE RPM'S AS WELL AS FUEL PRESSURE INDICATIONS. HE WAS AT SUCH AN ALTITUDE, (1,200 FEET, AGL) THAT HE HAD NO TIME TO COMPLETE THE "ENGINE FAILURE DURING CRUISE" CHECKLIST, AND EXECUTED AN EMERGENCY LANDING TO A RURAL ROAD. THE PILOT AND A PASSENGER ESCAPED INJURY, BUT THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. POSTCRASH TESTING OF ALL FUEL AND IGNITION COMPONENTS, AS WELL AS THE CORE ENGINE REVEALED NO MALFUNCTIONS. EVIDENCE OF FUEL CONTAMINATION WAS FOUND IN FUEL SAMPLES TAKEN FROM THE CARBURETOR BOWL, AND DISASSEMBLY EXAMINATION OF THE CARBURETOR REVEALED OTHER, CAKED CONTAMINATE IN THE RECESSES OF THE CARBURETOR BOWL. THE AIRCRAFT WAS STC'ED FOR USE OF AUTOMOTIVE FUEL, AND 87 OCTANE AUTOMOTIVE FUEL WAS BEING USED AT THE TIME OF 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 MIA01LA167Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportOak Hill, FLA partial loss of engine power while at a low altitude cruise due to fuel contamination, and the subsequent emergency descent and landing to a rural road resulting in collision with tree and mailbox post.Jun 19, 2001 · Substantial damage