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20050507010159A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Bbavia 7ECA · San Luis Obispo, CA · May 7, 2005

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
May 7, 2005 · 06:05 local
Place
San Luis Obispo, CA
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N42LC
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX05LA158
Reported as
Bbavia 7ECA
Reported engine
Lycoming O235*
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
766 total750 in this make and model30 in the last 90 days
N42LCRegistration cancelled Apr 3, 2020 · Champion 7ECAS/N 493 · Built 1966Airframe modelChampion 7ECAEngine 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 aircraft was observed flying low over the California polytechnic state university when it banked and made an emergency landing on the campus soccer field. Witnesses said they heard the aircraft sputtering or running rough. The aircraft touched down about 1/3 of the way down the soccer field and continued to one end of the field where it struck a telephone pole with it's left hand wing and a chain link fence with the nose (prop). The left wing fuel tank was ruptured and witnesses said they could smell fuel. The right hand wing was empty with very little fuel in the bottom of the tank. The left hand tank was also empty with only a small amount visible through the fuel fill ports. Both fuel caps were on tight and appeared to fit properly. Fuel samples taken from the wings and low point strainer show no signs of water. Pilot states he cannot remember anything from the time he heard the San Luis Obispo ATC say they are available for service to the point where he was being removed from the aircraft after the accident.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED FLYING LOW OVER THE CALIFORNIA POLYTECHNIC STATE UNIVERSITY WHEN IT BANKED AND MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING ON THE CAMPUS SOCCER FIELD. WITNESSES SAID THEY HEARD THE AIRCRAFT SPUTTERING OR RUNNING ROUGH. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN ABOUT 1/3 OF THE WAY DOWN THE SOCCER FIELD AND CONTINUED TO ONE END OF THE FIELD WHERE IT STRUCK A TELEPHONE POLE WITH IT'S LEFT HAND WING AND A CHAIN LINK FENCE WITH THE NOSE (PROP). THE LEFT WING FUEL TANK WAS RUPTURED AND WITNESSES SAID THEY COULD SMELL FUEL. THE RIGHT HAND WING WAS EMPTY WITH VERY LITTLE FUEL IN THE BOTTOM OF THE TANK. THE LEFT HAND TANK WAS ALSO EMPTY WITH ONLY A SMALL AMOUNT VISIBLE THROUGH THE FUEL FILL PORTS. BOTH FUEL CAPS WERE ON TIGHT AND APPEARED TO FIT PROPERLY. FUEL SAMPLES TAKEN FROM THE WINGS AND LOW POINT STRAINER SHOW NO SIGNS OF WATER. PILOT STATES HE CANNOT REMEMBER ANYTHING FROM THE TIME HE HEARD THE SAN LUIS OBISPO ATC SAY THEY ARE AVAILABLE FOR SERVICE TO THE POINT WHERE HE WAS BEING REMOVED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AFTER 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 LAX05LA158Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportSan Luis Obispo, CAa loss of engine power due to carburetor icing and the pilot's failure to use carburetor heat.May 7, 2005 · Substantial damage