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20100730041359I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Bellanca 14-19-3 · Amarillo, TX · July 30, 2010

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 30, 2010 · 10:20 local
Place
Amarillo, TX
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N8846R
Reported as
Bellanca 14-19-3
Reported engine
Continental I0-470 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
130 total40 in this make and model24 in the last 90 days
N8846RRegistered now · Bellanca 14-19-3S/N 4200Airframe modelBellanca 14-19-3Engine modelContinental I0-470 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.

On 07-30-2010 private pilotprivacy data omitted was the pilot in command of N8846R, a Bellanca BL-1419-3 on a pleasure flight from Amarillo, Texas flying over the city of wheeler, Texas, and returning to Amarillo, Texas with one passenger on board. The pilot departed the tradewind airport in Amarillo, Texas at 0900CDT and flew east bound over wheeler, Texas and then flew west bound towards Amarillo, Texas. The pilot stated he began his descent from 8,500 and adjusted the mixture control during the descent. The engine quit suddenly at 5,200 feet MSL during the descent. The pilot stated he slowed to the best glide speed and began the engine failure emergency checklist. He stated he turned on the fuel boost pump and selected the left fuel tank. After a period of time and the engine had not regained power he switched back to the right fuel tank. He then switched again to the auxiliary fuel tank in attempt to regain engine power. Finally the pilot stated he selected the right fuel tank and realized he had lost substantial altitude in his attempts to restart the engine, and landed in an open field with the landing gear retracted. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The aircraft received minor damage to the lower fuselage and propeller. An observer reported the auxiliary fuel tank was dry and there was excessive corrosion and sedement which may have clogged the fuel line.

As the FAA filed it

ON 07-30-2010 PRIVATE PILOT^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS THE PILOT IN COMMAND OF N8846R, A BELLANCA BL-1419-3 ON A PLEASURE FLIGHT FROM AMARILLO, TEXAS FLYING OVER THE CITY OF WHEELER, TEXAS, AND RETURNING TO AMARILLO, TEXAS WITH ONE PASSENGER ON BOARD. THE PILOT DEPARTED THE TRADEWIND AIRPORT IN AMARILLO, TEXAS AT 0900CDT AND FLEW EAST BOUND OVER WHEELER, TEXAS AND THEN FLEW WEST BOUND TOWARDS AMARILLO, TEXAS. THE PILOT STATED HE BEGAN HIS DESCENT FROM 8,500 AND ADJUSTED THE MIXTURE CONTROL DURING THE DESCENT. THE ENGINE QUIT SUDDENLY AT 5,200 FEET MSL DURING THE DESCENT. THE PILOT STATED HE SLOWED TO THE BEST GLIDE SPEED AND BEGAN THE ENGINE FAILURE EMERGENCY CHECKLIST. HE STATED HE TURNED ON THE FUEL BOOST PUMP AND SELECTED THE LEFT FUEL TANK. AFTER A PERIOD OF TIME AND THE ENGINE HAD NOT REGAINED POWER HE SWITCHED BACK TO THE RIGHT FUEL TANK. HE THEN SWITCHED AGAIN TO THE AUXILIARY FUEL TANK IN ATTEMPT TO REGAIN ENGINE POWER. FINALLY THE PILOT STATED HE SELECTED THE RIGHT FUEL TANK AND REALIZED HE HAD LOST SUBSTANTIAL ALTITUDE IN HIS ATTEMPTS TO RESTART THE ENGINE, AND LANDED IN AN OPEN FIELD WITH THE LANDING GEAR RETRACTED. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED MINOR DAMAGE TO THE LOWER FUSELAGE AND PROPELLER. AN OBSERVER REPORTED THE AUXILIARY FUEL TANK WAS DRY AND THERE WAS EXCESSIVE CORROSION AND SEDEMENT WHICH MAY HAVE CLOGGED THE FUEL LINE.