# Accident 20040525025979A: Cessna 120, New Castle, PA, May 25, 2004 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: May 25, 2004 - Place: New Castle, PA - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: To Aborted (Fixed Wing) - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 40.9411° N, 80.3475° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.9411&lon=-80.3475&mi=10 - Aircraft: N1996V (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 120 - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 511 total, 155 in this make and model, 6 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB NYC04CA131](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC04CA131) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20040525025979A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-23) ON MAY 25, 2004, AT APPROXIMATELY 1200 THE ALLEGHENY FSDO NOTIFIED INSPECTOR ^PRIVACY DATA ^ THAT AN AIRCRAFT HAD MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A PASTURE APPROXIMATELY FOUR MILES SOUTH OF NEW CASTLE, PA. INSPECTORS' ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ACCOMPANIED INSPECTOR ^PRIVAC^ AT THE TIME OF THE NOTIFICATION AND DURING THE INVESTIGATION. AIRCRAFT N1996V, A CE-120-120, WAS OBSERVED PARKED ON A HEADING OF APPROXIMATELY 185 DEGREES IN A FARM PASTURE APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET FROM WERNER ROAD, LAWRENCE COUNTY, NEW CASTLE, PA 16102. THERE WAS NO APPARENT AIRCRAFT DAMAGE, THE PILOT/OWNER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DID NOT HAVE ANY INJURIES. ^PRIVACY D^ STATED HE SUSPECTED THE ENGINE HAD QUIT DUE TO FUEL STARVATION, BUT THERE WAS AN AMPLE SUPPLY OF FUEL IN THE RIGHT TANK. HE FURTHER STATED THAT PRIOR LANDING HE HAD SWITCHED TO WHAT HE THOUGHT TO BE THE 'LEFT TANK' ON WHEN THE ENGINE QUIT. PRIOR TO OUR ARRIVAL AT THE SITE, ^PRIVACY D^ SELECTED WHAT HE THOUGHT TO BELIEVE WAS 'RIGHT' TANK ON AN THE AIRCRAFT STARTED AND CONTINUED TO RUN WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS. IT WAS NOTED THAT THERE WAS A MINIMUM SUPPLY OF FUEL IN THE 'LEFT' TANK AND AN AMPLE SUPPLY IN THE 'RIGHT' TANK. WE WERE ALSO INFORM ED THE AIRCRAFT HAD JUST CAME OUT OF AN ANNUAL INSPECTION THREE WEEKS EARLIER AND HAD ONLY BEEN FLOWN A FEW HOURS SINCE THE INSPECTION. DURING THE ANNUAL INSPECTION AT HASKI AVIATION, THE AIRCRAFT'S CARPET HAD BEEN LIFTED IN ORDER TO GAIN ACCESS TO THE INSPECTION PANELS; THIS WOULD HAVE REQUIRED THE FUEL SELECTOR KNOB AND PLATE TO BE REMOVED. DURING FLIGHT OPERATIONS, ^PRIVACY D^ STATED HE WAS OPERATING WITH THE FUEL SELECTOR KNOB IN BOTH THE 'LEFT' & 'RIGHT' TANK BOTH ON. WITH THE SELECTOR KNOB IMPROPERLY INSTALLED, THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS ACTUALLY SELECTED TO THE 'LEFT' TANK ON POSITION. ^PRIVACY D^ EXHAUSTED ALL THE FUEL IN THE LEFT TANK WHILE THINKING HE WAS SUPPLYING THE ENGINE FROM BOTH TANKS. THIS WOULD EXPLAIN THE FUEL STARVATION ISSUE. ^PRIVACY D^ CONTACTED ^PRIVACY DATA^ OF HASKI AVIATION, NEW CASTLE AIRPORT, AND REQUESTED ADDITIONAL FUEL, MECHANIC AND TOOLS TO BE BROUGHT OUT TO THE SITE. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ A MECHANIC FROM HASKI AVIATION, ARRIVED WITH APPROXIMATELY FIVE GALLONS OF FUEL, WHICH WAS ADDED TO THE LEFT WING TANK. WITH INSPECTORS' ^PRIVACY DATA O^ OBSERVING, ^PRIVACY D^ RESTARTED THE AIRCRAFT AGAIN, AND CYCLED THE FUEL SELECTOR KNO B IN ALL FOUR POSITIONS. LEFT AND RIGHT BOTH OFF/RIGHT TANK ON/LEFT TANK ON/LEFT AND RIGHT BOTH ON. THE ENGINE QUIT WHEN THE LEFT TANK ON POSITION WAS SELECTED AND CONTINUED TO RUN IN THE REMAINING THREE OTHER POSITIONS. THE LEFT TANK ON POSITION WAS ACTUALLY LEFT AND RIGHT BOTH OFF. ^PRIVACY DA^ REMOVED THE FUEL SELECTOR KNOB. WE OBSERVED THE KNOB AND SHAFT WERE BOTH SQUARE AND NEITHER HAD A KEY, THUS ALLOWING THE KNOB TO BE PLACED ON AT ANY OF FOUR POSITIONS. WE OBSERVED THAT THE FUEL SELECTOR KNOW WAS APPROXIMATELY NINETY DEGREES CLOCKWISE OUT OF SEQUENCE WITH THE VALVE. ^PRIVACY DA^ REINSTALLED THE KNOB INTO THE CORRECT POSITION AND ^PRIVACY D^ RESTARTED THE AIRCRAFT TO CONFIRM THE PROPER OPERATION AND CORRECT POSITIONING OF THE FUEL SELECTOR KNOB. ^PRIVACY D^ WAS SATISFIED WITH ITS OPERATION. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HAD DECIDED TO WALK THE PASTURE TO DETERMINE IF IT WAS SATISFACTORY FOR USE DURING TAKEOFF. THEY RETURNED APPROXIMATELY TWENTY MINUTES LATER. ^PRIVACY D^ SAID IT LOOKED LIKE A 60/40 CHANCE THAT ^PRIVACY D^ WAS GOING TO FLY THE AIRCRAFT OUT AND THAT ^PRIVACY D^ HAD MORE COURAGE THAN HE DID. ^PRIVACY D^ DECIDED HE WAS GOING TO ATTEMPT A TAKE OFF. SEVERAL TIMES INSP ECTOR ^PRIVA^ EXPRESSED HIS CONCERNS PERTAINING TO THE OVERALL CONDITION OF THE PASTURE AND OBSTRUCTIONS. INSPECTOR ^PRIVA^ ALSO ASKED ^PRIVACY D^ IF HE HAD PERMISSION FROM THE LANDOWNER TO PERFORM A TAKEOFF. ^PRIVACY D^ STATED HE HAD THE LANDOWNER'S PERMISSION TO TAKE OFF FROM HIS PASTURE. ^PRIVACY D^ STATED HE WANTED TO TAXI THE AIRCRAFT IN THE PASTURE, BEFORE MAKING HIS FINAL DECISION TO TAKE OFF. ^PRIVACY D^ RESTARTED THE AIRCRAFT AND TAXIED IT TOWARD WERNER ROAD. ^PRIVACY D^ TAXIED THE AIRCRAFT PARALLEL TO WERNER ROAD ON A HEADING OF APPROXIMATELY 180 DEGREES UNTIL HE WAS APPROXIMATELY FIVE HUNDRED FEET FROM THE ORIGINAL SPOT WHERE THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A STOP. WE DROVE OUR VEHICLE ONTO WERNER ROAD AND POSITIONED OURSELVES ALONG THE LEFT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT. WITH THE ENGINE RUN UP COMPLETE, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ , ASKED US IF WE KNEW IF THE TEMPORARY FLIGHT RESTRICTION (TFR) FOR THE ^PRIVACY DATA O^ HAD BEEN LIFTED.^PRIVACY D^ SAID HE WOULD CHECK WITH AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL AT THE BEAVER COUNTY AIRPORT. ^PRIVACY D^ TOLD ^PRIVACY D^ THE TFR WAS STILL IN EFFECT AND WOULD BE CANCELLED APPROXIMATELY 1605 LOCAL. ^PRIVACY D^ RELAYED THIS INFORMATION TO ^PRIVACY DA^ SHORTLY THEREAFT ER ^PRIVACY D^ RECEIVED A CALL THAT THE TFR WAS LIFTED AND THIS INFORMATION WAS PASSED ONTO ^PRIVACY DA^ AT APPROXIMATELY 1610 LOCAL, ^PRIVACY D^ ADVANCED THE THROTTLE AND MADE AN APPROXIMATELY 90 DEGREE TURN TO THE RIGHT, ONTO A HEADING OF APPROXIMATELY 270 DEGREES. HE PROCEEDED WITH HIS TAKE OFF ROLL ACROSS THE PASTURE, WHICH WAS ONLY APPROXIMATELY 1500 WIDE. WE COMMENTED ON WHY WAS HE DEPARTING WEST BOUND VERSUS SOUTH BOUND. DEPARTING TO THE SOUTH, ^PRIVACY D^ WOULD OF HAD APPROXIMATELY 5000 FEET FOR HIS TAKE OFF ROLL. THE AIRCRAFT WAS APPROXIMATELY THREE QUARTERS ACROSS THE PASTURE WHEN IT SEEMED TO GAIN SOME LIFT, BUT IT DISAPPEARED FROM VIEW. WE DROVE ACROSS THE PASTURE, AND FOUND THE AIRCRAFT INVERTED AT THE EDGE OF THE PASTURE NEAR THE TREE LINE. WE CONTACTED 911 AND HAD EMS PERSONAL DISPATCHED. WE SAW ^PRIVACY D^ CRAWLING FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND GIVING US A THUMB UP, SIGNALING HE WAS OKAY. HE WALKED OVER TO US AND SAID HE WAS FINE AND WE COULD NOT SEE ANY VISIBLE INJURIES. HE SAID HE REALIZED HE WASN'T GOING TO CLEAR THE TREES SO HE ABORTED THE TAKEOFF AND HAD INTENTIONALLY GROUND LOOPED THE AIRCRAFT TO PREVENT IT FROM GOING INTO THE TREES. WE NOTED THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT WING, LANDING GEAR, FUSELAGE, AND PROPELLER. EMS ARRIVED AND ASCERTAINED ^PRIVACY DAT^ CONDITION AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT MONITORED THE AIRCRAFT FOR POTENTIAL FIRE. ^PRIVACY D^ DEPARTED THE SITE WITH ^PRIVACY DA^ A REVIEW OF ^PRIVACY DAT^ CREDENTIALS AND PILOT LOG REVEALED FULL COMPLIANCE WITH TITLE 49 USC SECTION FAR 61 AND FAR 91. ON MAY 27, 2004, BOTH WINGS WERE REMOVED AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS TRANSPORTED FROM THE PASTURE VIA MOTOR VEHICLE. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB NYC04CA131](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC04CA131), May 25, 2004: Cessna 120 (N1996V), New Castle, PA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to use all available takeoff area and his delay in aborting the takeoff. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.