20010626020319A

Accident · No damage

FAA accident report · Bbavia 7KCAB · Hudson, MI · June 26, 2001

Date
June 26, 2001 · 20:30 local
Place
Hudson, MI
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N86960
NTSB investigation
NTSBCHI01LA189
Reported as
Bbavia 7KCAB

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.

(.19) On June 26, 2001, at 2030 eastern daylight time, a Bellanca 7KCAB, N86960, operated by a private pilot, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing on a road at Hudson, Michigan. Prior to the accident the pilot reported the airplane lost engine power while in cruise flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91. The was no flight plan on file. The pilot reported no injuries. The cross-country flight originated at rochester, Wisconsin, and was en route to wilmington, Delaware. The pilot told a federal aviation administration (FAA) inspector that the airplane had just had new wings installed at the American champion aircraft company, rochester, Wisconsin. He was taking the airplane to Delaware. The pilot said that after the engine failed, he attempted to land the airplane on a road. During the landing roll, the wheel went into a pot hole in the road. A FAA inspector examined the airplane at the accident scene. The right main landing gear was pushed aft. The fuselage frame at the landing gear attach point was bent upward. The fuselage skin at the landing gear atta ch point was wrinkled. The lower cowling, oil filter and propeller spinner showed dents and scrapes. An examination of the cockpit showed the 2 position, on-off fuel selector switch in the "on" position. An examination of the airplane's fuel tanks showed right fuel tank empty and the left fuel tank full of fuel. The two fuel pickup ports in the left fuel tank were completely blocked with an unknown material. Flight control continuity was confirmed. No other anomalies with the airplane were found. (-23) the aircraft departed the American champion factory in rochester, WI in after having new wing assemblies installed. Two hours into the flight the engine stopped and could not be restarted. The aircraft landed in a field near Hudson, MI with the majority of the damage to the right landing gear attach, and door frame area. An investigation showed the right tank empty, and the left tank almost full (fuel gauges agreed with findings).upon removing the wings the left fuel tank finger screen fittings (2 locations) were found blocked with bugs/mud.

As the FAA filed it

(.19) ON JUNE 26, 2001, AT 2030 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A BELLANCA 7KCAB, N86960, OPERATED BY A PRIVATE PILOT, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING A FORCED LANDING ON A ROAD AT HUDSON, MICHIGAN. PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT THE PILOT REPORTED THE AIRPLANE LOST ENGINE POWER WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS OPERATING UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91. THE WAS NO FLIGHT PLAN ON FILE. THE PILOT REPORTED NO INJURIES. THE CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT ROCHESTER, WISCONSIN, AND WAS EN ROUTE TO WILMINGTON, DELAWARE. THE PILOT TOLD A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) INSPECTOR THAT THE AIRPLANE HAD JUST HAD NEW WINGS INSTALLED AT THE AMERICAN CHAMPION AIRCRAFT COMPANY, ROCHESTER, WISCONSIN. HE WAS TAKING THE AIRPLANE TO DELAWARE. THE PILOT SAID THAT AFTER THE ENGINE FAILED, HE ATTEMPTED TO LAND THE AIRPLANE ON A ROAD. DURING THE LANDING ROLL, THE WHEEL WENT INTO A POT HOLE IN THE ROAD. A FAA INSPECTOR EXAMINED THE AIRPLANE AT THE ACCIDENT SCENE. THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR WAS PUSHED AFT. THE FUSELAGE FRAME AT THE LANDING GEAR ATTACH POINT WAS BENT UPWARD. THE FUSELAGE SKIN AT THE LANDING GEAR ATTA CH POINT WAS WRINKLED. THE LOWER COWLING, OIL FILTER AND PROPELLER SPINNER SHOWED DENTS AND SCRAPES. AN EXAMINATION OF THE COCKPIT SHOWED THE 2 POSITION, ON-OFF FUEL SELECTOR SWITCH IN THE "ON" POSITION. AN EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE'S FUEL TANKS SHOWED RIGHT FUEL TANK EMPTY AND THE LEFT FUEL TANK FULL OF FUEL. THE TWO FUEL PICKUP PORTS IN THE LEFT FUEL TANK WERE COMPLETELY BLOCKED WITH AN UNKNOWN MATERIAL. FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS CONFIRMED. NO OTHER ANOMALIES WITH THE AIRPLANE WERE FOUND. (-23) THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE AMERICAN CHAMPION FACTORY IN ROCHESTER, WI IN AFTER HAVING NEW WING ASSEMBLIES INSTALLED. TWO HOURS INTO THE FLIGHT THE ENGINE STOPPED AND COULD NOT BE RESTARTED. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED IN A FIELD NEAR HUDSON, MI WITH THE MAJORITY OF THE DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT LANDING GEAR ATTACH, AND DOOR FRAME AREA. AN INVESTIGATION SHOWED THE RIGHT TANK EMPTY, AND THE LEFT TANK ALMOST FULL (FUEL GAUGES AGREED WITH FINDINGS).UPON REMOVING THE WINGS THE LEFT FUEL TANK FINGER SCREEN FITTINGS (2 LOCATIONS) WERE FOUND BLOCKED WITH BUGS/MUD.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.