20050622014089A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Yaklev YAK-52 · Columbus, NE · June 22, 2005

Date
June 22, 2005 · 14:50 local
Place
Columbus, NE
Airport
Columbus Municipal
Phase of flight
Forced Landing
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N962KY
Reported as
Yaklev YAK52
Reported engine
VEDENY M14P
Fatal injuries
0

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) On June 22, 2005, at approximately 1550 while in the traffic pattern at Columbus Municipal Airport, YAK-52, N962KY experienced a loss of engine power. Pilot stated he did not have altitude or airspeed to make a glide to either runway and elected to land the aircraft in a corn field gear up, approximately 2 miles northeast of Columbus airport. The aircraft was substantial damaged, but remained upright. The primary factor identified for this accident was fuel depletion to the engine due to a plugged fuel line on the right hand wing three-way valve supply line. This allowed the left hand fuel tank to empty at a greater rate than the right hand fuel tank. The right hand fuel line was plugged to the point where it could not meet the demands of the engine takeoff power flow rate, and caused the engine to lose power.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON JUNE 22, 2005, AT APPROXIMATELY 1550 WHILE IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN AT COLUMBUS MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, YAK-52, N962KY EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. PILOT STATED HE DID NOT HAVE ALTITUDE OR AIRSPEED TO MAKE A GLIDE TO EITHER RUNWAY AND ELECTED TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT IN A CORN FIELD GEAR UP, APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES NORTHEAST OF COLUMBUS AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGED, BUT REMAINED UPRIGHT. THE PRIMARY FACTOR IDENTIFIED FOR THIS ACCIDENT WAS FUEL DEPLETION TO THE ENGINE DUE TO A PLUGGED FUEL LINE ON THE RIGHT HAND WING THREE-WAY VALVE SUPPLY LINE. THIS ALLOWED THE LEFT HAND FUEL TANK TO EMPTY AT A GREATER RATE THAN THE RIGHT HAND FUEL TANK. THE RIGHT HAND FUEL LINE WAS PLUGGED TO THE POINT WHERE IT COULD NOT MEET THE DEMANDS OF THE ENGINE TAKEOFF POWER FLOW RATE, AND CAUSED THE ENGINE TO LOSE POWER.