What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Principal maintenance inspector's statement: on October 8, 2003 inspectors from this office were dispatched to investigate an accident near greenville, IN. Upon arrival at the accident scene it was noted that a Waco Cto N9577H, had burned in place. Interview with the pilot Mr. Tom lozier, revealed the following: Mr. Lozier had departed pope field (gfd), IN Greenfield, IN. Preflight and run up had been normal and take off had been uneventful. While in cruise/climb at approximately 800 ft. AGL the engine started to sputter and stopped running. The pilot cycled the throttle, mixture, and magneto switch and checked the fuel shut off valve. None of the actions had any effect on the engine. The pilot then selected a soybean field and set up for the landing. He turned off the master switch, fuel valve, and magneto switch. He landed and bounced and rolled out in approximately 900 ft. investigation of the aircraft revealed the following: the fire had consumed the majority of the aircraft. Both upper and lower wings were burned out to about the outer 2/3'S of the span. The engine and propeller suffered little damage. The fire appeared to have been the hottest on the left side forward of the front cockpit. The fuel tank was ruptured in 3 places. The fuel line from the tank to the shutoff valve had three ruptures and was melted off at the shutoff valve. The fuel line from the shutoff valve to the gascolator was destroyed by fire. The gascolator was destroyed by fire. During further investigation on 10/11/03, the magneto's, and spark plugs and continently of the valve train and accessory gearbox were checked and no discrepancies were noted. Review of the carburetor icing chart and using the observations from shelbyville, IN it appears that with the temperature and dew point the aircraft could have been in moderate icing in cruise power. Conclusions: the engine quit due to unknown circumstances. The fire was started by an unknown source and was centered in the fuel shutoff valve and gascolator area, on the left forward side of the aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PRINCIPAL MAINTENANCE INSPECTOR'S STATEMENT: ON OCTOBER 8, 2003 INSPECTORS FROM THIS OFFICE WERE DISPATCHED TO INVESTIGATE AN ACCIDENT NEAR GREENVILLE, IN. UPON ARRIVAL AT THE ACCIDENT SCENE IT WAS NOTED THAT A WACO CTO N9577H, HAD BURNED IN PLACE. INTERVIEW WITH THE PILOT MR. TOM LOZIER, REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: MR. LOZIER HAD DEPARTED POPE FIELD (GFD), IN GREENFIELD, IN. PREFLIGHT AND RUN UP HAD BEEN NORMAL AND TAKE OFF HAD BEEN UNEVENTFUL. WHILE IN CRUISE/CLIMB AT APPROXIMATELY 800 FT. AGL THE ENGINE STARTED TO SPUTTER AND STOPPED RUNNING. THE PILOT CYCLED THE THROTTLE, MIXTURE, AND MAGNETO SWITCH AND CHECKED THE FUEL SHUT OFF VALVE. NONE OF THE ACTIONS HAD ANY EFFECT ON THE ENGINE. THE PILOT THEN SELECTED A SOYBEAN FIELD AND SET UP FOR THE LANDING. HE TURNED OFF THE MASTER SWITCH, FUEL VALVE, AND MAGNETO SWITCH. HE LANDED AND BOUNCED AND ROLLED OUT IN APPROXIMATELY 900 FT. INVESTIGATION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THE FIRE HAD CONSUMED THE MAJORITY OF THE AIRCRAFT. BOTH UPPER AND LOWER WINGS WERE BURNED OUT TO ABOUT THE OUTER 2/3'S OF THE SPAN. THE ENGINE AND PROPELLER SUFFERED LITTLE DAMAGE. THE FIRE APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN THE HOTTEST ON THE LEFT SIDE FORWARD OF THE FRONT COCKPIT. THE FUEL TANK WAS RUPTURED IN 3 PLACES. THE FUEL LINE FROM THE TANK TO THE SHUTOFF VALVE HAD THREE RUPTURES AND WAS MELTED OFF AT THE SHUTOFF VALVE. THE FUEL LINE FROM THE SHUTOFF VALVE TO THE GASCOLATOR WAS DESTROYED BY FIRE. THE GASCOLATOR WAS DESTROYED BY FIRE. DURING FURTHER INVESTIGATION ON 10/11/03, THE MAGNETO'S, AND SPARK PLUGS AND CONTINENTLY OF THE VALVE TRAIN AND ACCESSORY GEARBOX WERE CHECKED AND NO DISCREPANCIES WERE NOTED. REVIEW OF THE CARBURETOR ICING CHART AND USING THE OBSERVATIONS FROM SHELBYVILLE, IN IT APPEARS THAT WITH THE TEMPERATURE AND DEW POINT THE AIRCRAFT COULD HAVE BEEN IN MODERATE ICING IN CRUISE POWER. CONCLUSIONS: THE ENGINE QUIT DUE TO UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES. THE FIRE WAS STARTED BY AN UNKNOWN SOURCE AND WAS CENTERED IN THE FUEL SHUTOFF VALVE AND GASCOLATOR AREA, ON THE LEFT FORWARD SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N9577H · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.