20100103025679I

Incident · No damage

FAA incident report · Aeronca 7AC · Scappoose, OR · January 3, 2010

Date: January 3, 2010 · 12:18 local
Place: Scappoose, OR
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: No damage
Aircraft: N857AC
Reported as: Aeronca 7AC
Reported engine: Lycoming 0-235 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,500 total250 in this make and model15 in the last 90 days

N857ACRegistered now · Aeronca 7ACS/N 7AC-2520 Airframe modelAeronca 7AC Engine 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.

On pre-flight, pilot verified fuel gauge indicated one quarter tank. Pilot visually looked in tank to verify fuel quantity. He stated he thought it looked about right from prior experience with this aircraft. Pilot departed pearson air park and flew 12 minutes. Lost power. Thought it may be carb ice. Applied carb heat and full rich. Seemed to recover for no more than 30 seconds. Lost power again. Opened wing tank valve. No help. Broadcast mayday on 121.5. Performed good landing without power in mowed wheat field. Stated fuel tank indicated zero. Fueled aircraft. Performed full power run-up. Performed leak check ok. Flew aircraft back to pearson air park.

As the FAA filed it

ON PRE-FLIGHT, PILOT VERIFIED FUEL GAUGE INDICATED ONE QUARTER TANK. PILOT VISUALLY LOOKED IN TANK TO VERIFY FUEL QUANTITY. HE STATED HE THOUGHT IT LOOKED ABOUT RIGHT FROM PRIOR EXPERIENCE WITH THIS AIRCRAFT. PILOT DEPARTED PEARSON AIR PARK AND FLEW 12 MINUTES. LOST POWER. THOUGHT IT MAY BE CARB ICE. APPLIED CARB HEAT AND FULL RICH. SEEMED TO RECOVER FOR NO MORE THAN 30 SECONDS. LOST POWER AGAIN. OPENED WING TANK VALVE. NO HELP. BROADCAST MAYDAY ON 121.5. PERFORMED GOOD LANDING WITHOUT POWER IN MOWED WHEAT FIELD. STATED FUEL TANK INDICATED ZERO. FUELED AIRCRAFT. PERFORMED FULL POWER RUN-UP. PERFORMED LEAK CHECK OK. FLEW AIRCRAFT BACK TO PEARSON AIR PARK.