OpenAirDocs.org

20120520007659A

Accident · Substantial damage
Open the Markdown

FAA accident report · Bel-Aire 2000 · Seneca Falls, NY · May 20, 2012

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
May 20, 2012 · 14:58 local
Place
Seneca Falls, NY
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N122BA
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA12LA349
Reported as
Bel-Aire 2000
Reported engine
Cheverolet 383
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
2,900 total1 in this make and model10 in the last 90 days
N122BARegistered now · Bel-Aire 2000S/N 001Airframe modelBel-Aire 2000

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.

Pilot departed on initial flight from a farmers field {N43 09 42.5 W076 50 06.7 } with newly purchased experimental aircraft that had not flown for a year. Sumped fuel but did not drain approximately 10 gals of autogas from fuel tank. Added 30 gal of autogas. Preformed 35 min of test runs and departed headed south. 20 min (15 miles) into flight, chevrolet 383 engine began running intermittently from suspected fuel starvation. Pilot could get engine to run by pumping primer. Pilot attempted an emergency landing in grass field and avoided planted fields. As he came over tree line aircraft lost airspeed and stalled 50 feet AGL. Aircraft impacted and skidded app 75 feet. Both aircraft main gear collapsed and lower wing spars were broken on both sides. Upper wing spar was broken on left side. Fuselage remained intact. Pilot was wearing shoulder harness and leather helmet. Laceration to back of pilots head occurred due to an unprotected metal frame behind his head. Helmet reduced severity of injury. No other injuries.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT DEPARTED ON INITIAL FLIGHT FROM A FARMERS FIELD {N43 09 42.5 W076 50 06.7 } WITH NEWLY PURCHASED EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT THAT HAD NOT FLOWN FOR A YEAR. SUMPED FUEL BUT DID NOT DRAIN APPROXIMATELY 10 GALS OF AUTOGAS FROM FUEL TANK. ADDED 30 GAL OF AUTOGAS. PREFORMED 35 MIN OF TEST RUNS AND DEPARTED HEADED SOUTH. 20 MIN (15 MILES) INTO FLIGHT, CHEVROLET 383 ENGINE BEGAN RUNNING INTERMITTENTLY FROM SUSPECTED FUEL STARVATION. PILOT COULD GET ENGINE TO RUN BY PUMPING PRIMER. PILOT ATTEMPTED AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN GRASS FIELD AND AVOIDED PLANTED FIELDS. AS HE CAME OVER TREE LINE AIRCRAFT LOST AIRSPEED AND STALLED 50 FEET AGL. AIRCRAFT IMPACTED AND SKIDDED APP 75 FEET. BOTH AIRCRAFT MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED AND LOWER WING SPARS WERE BROKEN ON BOTH SIDES. UPPER WING SPAR WAS BROKEN ON LEFT SIDE. FUSELAGE REMAINED INTACT. PILOT WAS WEARING SHOULDER HARNESS AND LEATHER HELMET. LACERATION TO BACK OF PILOTS HEAD OCCURRED DUE TO AN UNPROTECTED METAL FRAME BEHIND HIS HEAD. HELMET REDUCED SEVERITY OF INJURY. NO OTHER INJURIES.

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 ERA12LA349Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportTyre, NYA partial loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined during the postaccident investigation.May 20, 2012 · Substantial damage