20110511011859I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Ercoupe 415-CD · London, KY · May 11, 2011

Date: May 11, 2011 · 19:35 local
Place: London, KY
Airport: London-Corbin Airport-Magee Fld
Phase of flight: Climb
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N94654
Reported as: Ercoupe 415-CD
Reported engine: Continental A&C75 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 120 total49 in this make and model1 in the last 90 days

N94654Registered now · Ercoupe 415-CDS/N 4763 · Built 1947 Airframe modelErcoupe 415-CD Engine 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.

05-11-2011, 1935 Hours EDT, N94654, during climb following take off from London, KY (loz), engine quit at 1000 ft AGL. An off airport landing was made. The pilot was the only person on board and was not injured. The aircraft suffered minor damage. Post incident investigation determined that the fuselage fuel tank was empty, due to the wing fuel tank shut off valve being in the closed position. The operation of the fuel system and the engine checked ok. Information available to the pilot for the operation of the fuel system of this aircraft is confusing, and an FAA safety recommendation is planned. Counseling of the pilot and of the aircraft owner of the aircraft fuel system is also planned.

As the FAA filed it

05-11-2011, 1935 HOURS EDT, N94654, DURING CLIMB FOLLOWING TAKE OFF FROM LONDON, KY (LOZ), ENGINE QUIT AT 1000 FT AGL. AN OFF AIRPORT LANDING WAS MADE. THE PILOT WAS THE ONLY PERSON ON BOARD AND WAS NOT INJURED. THE AIRCRAFT SUFFERED MINOR DAMAGE. POST INCIDENT INVESTIGATION DETERMINED THAT THE FUSELAGE FUEL TANK WAS EMPTY, DUE TO THE WING FUEL TANK SHUT OFF VALVE BEING IN THE CLOSED POSITION. THE OPERATION OF THE FUEL SYSTEM AND THE ENGINE CHECKED OK. INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO THE PILOT FOR THE OPERATION OF THE FUEL SYSTEM OF THIS AIRCRAFT IS CONFUSING, AND AN FAA SAFETY RECOMMENDATION IS PLANNED. COUNSELING OF THE PILOT AND OF THE AIRCRAFT OWNER OF THE AIRCRAFT FUEL SYSTEM IS ALSO PLANNED.