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20090827025409A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Piper J5A · Holland, MA · August 27, 2009

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
August 27, 2009 · 16:15 local
Place
Holland, MA
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N33078
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA09CA489
Reported as
Piper J5A
Reported engine
Continental A&C75 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
386 total386 in this make and model15 in the last 90 days
N33078Registered now · Piper J5AS/N 5-426 · Built 1940Airframe modelPiper J5AEngine modelContinental A&C75 seriesReciprocating

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.

Mr. Horan departed southbridge, MA, enroute for a short flight to the skylark, CT airport. Approximately 9 miles south of the airport, the aircraft experienced a rough running engine. Mr. Horan applied carb heat and attempted to climb higher in case the engine was to quit. At 2500 ft the engine quit. Mr. Horan spiraled down over a nearby field and prepared for an emergency landing. The aircraft approached the field and was maneuvered slightly for optimal touchdown location. During the flare heading 360 degrees , the left main wheel was caught up in the grass. The drag of the grass slowed the aircraft down causing the aicraft to touch down on the left gear collapsing it. The aircraft continued for approximately 50 ft, before coming to a stop, heading 200 degrees. Pilot and passenger exited without injury. Subsequent investigation revealed the following:1. Substantial damage to left main gear attach point and tubular fuselage structure. 2. Carb heat in on position, fuel selector on, no fuel indication on wing tank dipstick.3. No fuel noted in wing tank, only a couple of ounces of fuel sumped from wing tank.4. Only 4 ounces of fuel contained in gascolator, carb and associated fuel lines. A total of only 10 ounces of fuel collected from the aircraft.5. Left wing was resting on the ground, damage was indeterminate due to lack of inspection holes along spar. Possible damage due to rib compression evidence.6. Spark plug condition was normal, compression apparent in all cylinders, engine oil was present, engine turned over normally.

As the FAA filed it

MR. HORAN DEPARTED SOUTHBRIDGE, MA, ENROUTE FOR A SHORT FLIGHT TO THE SKYLARK, CT AIRPORT. APPROXIMATELY 9 MILES SOUTH OF THE AIRPORT, THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A ROUGH RUNNING ENGINE. MR. HORAN APPLIED CARB HEAT AND ATTEMPTED TO CLIMB HIGHER IN CASE THE ENGINE WAS TO QUIT. AT 2500 FT THE ENGINE QUIT. MR. HORAN SPIRALED DOWN OVER A NEARBY FIELD AND PREPARED FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT APPROACHED THE FIELD AND WAS MANEUVERED SLIGHTLY FOR OPTIMAL TOUCHDOWN LOCATION. DURING THE FLARE HEADING 360 DEGREES , THE LEFT MAIN WHEEL WAS CAUGHT UP IN THE GRASS. THE DRAG OF THE GRASS SLOWED THE AIRCRAFT DOWN CAUSING THE AICRAFT TO TOUCH DOWN ON THE LEFT GEAR COLLAPSING IT. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED FOR APPROXIMATELY 50 FT, BEFORE COMING TO A STOP, HEADING 200 DEGREES. PILOT AND PASSENGER EXITED WITHOUT INJURY.SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE FOLLOWING:1. SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO LEFT MAIN GEAR ATTACH POINT AND TUBULAR FUSELAGE STRUCTURE. 2. CARB HEAT IN ON POSITION, FUEL SELECTOR ON, NO FUEL INDICATION ON WING TANK DIPSTICK.3. NO FUEL NOTED IN WING TANK, ONLY A COUPLE OF OUNCES OF FUEL SUMPED FROM WING TANK.4. ONLY 4 OUNCES OF FUEL CONTAINED IN GASCOLATOR, CARB AND ASSOCIATED FUEL LINES. A TOTAL OF ONLY 10 OUNCES OF FUEL COLLECTED FROM THE AIRCRAFT.5. LEFT WING WAS RESTING ON THE GROUND, DAMAGE WAS INDETERMINATE DUE TO LACK OF INSPECTION HOLES ALONG SPAR. POSSIBLE DAMAGE DUE TO RIB COMPRESSION EVIDENCE.6. SPARK PLUG CONDITION WAS NORMAL, COMPRESSION APPARENT IN ALL CYLINDERS, ENGINE OIL WAS PRESENT, ENGINE TURNED OVER NORMALLY.

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 ERA09CA489Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportHolland, MAA loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. A factor in the accident was the pilot's inadequate preflight inspection.Aug 27, 2009 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N33078 · 1

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

Incident 20070831830209IRoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · Danielson, CT(-23) During landing roll on rwy 31, the aircraft began to drift to the right, because the pilot made a wheel landing and held the tail off the runway, there was insufficient rudder authority to compensate. The aircraft drifted into the grass and nosed over…Aug 31, 2007 · Minor damage