OpenAirDocs.org

20030730016409A

Accident · Destroyed
Open the Markdown

FAA accident report · Amtr LANCAIR 235 · Fort Payne, AL · July 30, 2003

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
July 30, 2003 · 10:56 local
Place
Fort Payne, AL
Airport
Isbell Field Airport
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N7156W
NTSB investigation
NTSBATL03LA121
Reported as
Amtr LANCAIR235
Reported engine
Lycoming O235*
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
13,000 total700 in this make and model20 in the last 90 days
N7156WRegistration cancelled Nov 21, 2005 · Shippey John J LANCAIR 235S/N JJS3 · Built 1990Airframe modelShippey John J LANCAIR 235Engine 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 carburetor was removed and reinstalled by the owner/pilot who built the airplane. The owner/pilot holds an FAA A&P certificate. Twenty minutes into the first flight, after the re-installation, the engine failed in flight. The engine is a Lycoming O-235. Restart attempts were unsuccessful. The pilot attempted to land at the Isbell airport (K4A9), ft Payne, AL where the flight had originated from. The airplane hit trees short of the runway. The airplane struck the ground and then cartwheeled. The airplane came to rest short of the runway. The airplane was destroyed. There was no fire. The fire department foamed the area due to a fuel presence. The pilot exited the airplane unassisted. He was hospitalized with a cracked vertebrae, various scrapes, cuts and bruises and he also suffered the loss of one or two teeth. (-23 amendment) engine teardown report dated 3/21/03 reached the conclusion that Mr. Shippey failed to properly reconnect the mixture cable during the installation of the carburetor. This allowed the mixture valve to go to the idle cutoff position.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE CARBURETOR WAS REMOVED AND REINSTALLED BY THE OWNER/PILOT WHO BUILT THE AIRPLANE. THE OWNER/PILOT HOLDS AN FAA A&P CERTIFICATE. TWENTY MINUTES INTO THE FIRST FLIGHT, AFTER THE RE-INSTALLATION, THE ENGINE FAILED IN FLIGHT. THE ENGINE IS A LYCOMING O-235. RESTART ATTEMPTS WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO LAND AT THE ISBELL AIRPORT (K4A9), FT PAYNE, AL WHERE THE FLIGHT HAD ORIGINATED FROM. THE AIRPLANE HIT TREES SHORT OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE GROUND AND THEN CARTWHEELED. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST SHORT OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED. THERE WAS NO FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT FOAMED THE AREA DUE TO A FUEL PRESENCE. THE PILOT EXITED THE AIRPLANE UNASSISTED. HE WAS HOSPITALIZED WITH A CRACKED VERTEBRAE, VARIOUS SCRAPES, CUTS AND BRUISES AND HE ALSO SUFFERED THE LOSS OF ONE OR TWO TEETH. (-23 AMENDMENT) ENGINE TEARDOWN REPORT DATED 3/21/03 REACHED THE CONCLUSION THAT MR. SHIPPEY FAILED TO PROPERLY RECONNECT THE MIXTURE CABLE DURING THE INSTALLATION OF THE CARBURETOR. THIS ALLOWED THE MIXTURE VALVE TO GO TO THE IDLE CUTOFF POSITION.

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 ATL03LA121Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportFort Payne, ALThe pilot's failure to properly reconnect the mixture control cable resulting in a total loss of engine power, and subsequent in-flight collision with the trees.Jul 30, 2003 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N7156W · 1

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

Incident 19910728037869IDescent · Charleston, WVPilot unable to transfer fuel. Engine quit due to fuel exhaustion on approach. Made safe landing.Jul 28, 1991 · Reported as Amtrnc 235LANCAIR