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20140708010639A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Aeronca 7BCM · Palmer, AK · July 8, 2014

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 8, 2014 · 19:50 local
Place
Palmer, AK
Airport
Sky Ranch
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N68593
NTSB investigation
NTSBANC14LA052
Reported as
Aeronca 7BCM
Reported engine
Continental C85
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Airline transport
Pilot’s flight hours
18,000 total60 in this make and model90 in the last 90 days
N68593Registered now · Aeronca 7BCMS/N 7BCM-9 · Built 1956Airframe modelAeronca 7BCMEngine modelContinental C85 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.

Student pilot took a dual cross country in aircraft prior to accident. The aircraft left AK50 (skyranch) with 19 gallons of fuel that was taken from their 500 gallon storage tank at AK50. Student pilot filled the left wing and the center tank with 19 gallons, then went to Palmer and picked up an instructor, upon which they went to talkeetna and back, for a flight duration of 1.8 hours. The instructor was dropped off. Accident PIC called student pilot who said he had already drained the wings and had just under a half tank in the center. Student pilot flew from Palmer to birchwood and picked up accident PIC. The aircraft was never shut off, PIC just hopped in. They flew back to AK50 for a total flight time of 0.6. The estimated total flight time on 19 gallons was 2.5 hours. They left birchwood flying at approx. 1500 ft. AGL. The engine stumbled and quit over the Palmer hay flats. When the engine quit carb heat was applied and no difference was noted. PIC pointed the aircraft nose down. The airman were able to restart the engine as they continued to fly to AK50. The engine quite again approximately 3 miles from AK50. PIC elected to run straight in on runway 24 with a 8-10 mph tail wind. He put the aircraft into a slip and recovered over AK50. He realized he was TO0 fast; rather than land too fast and potentially flip he decided to continue on into the trees at the end of the runway. PIC was in the back of the aircraft.

As the FAA filed it

STUDENT PILOT TOOK A DUAL CROSS COUNTRY IN AIRCRAFT PRIOR TO ACCIDENT. THE AIRCRAFT LEFT AK50 (SKYRANCH) WITH 19 GALLONS OF FUEL THAT WAS TAKEN FROM THEIR 500 GALLON STORAGE TANK AT AK50. STUDENT PILOT FILLED THE LEFT WING AND THE CENTER TANK WITH 19 GALLONS, THEN WENT TO PALMER AND PICKED UP AN INSTRUCTOR, UPON WHICH THEY WENT TO TALKEETNA AND BACK, FOR A FLIGHT DURATION OF 1.8 HOURS. THE INSTRUCTOR WAS DROPPED OFF. ACCIDENT PIC CALLED STUDENT PILOT WHO SAID HE HAD ALREADY DRAINED THE WINGS AND HAD JUST UNDER A HALF TANK IN THE CENTER. STUDENT PILOT FLEW FROM PALMER TO BIRCHWOOD AND PICKED UP ACCIDENT PIC. THE AIRCRAFT WAS NEVER SHUT OFF, PIC JUST HOPPED IN. THEY FLEW BACK TO AK50 FOR A TOTAL FLIGHT TIME OF 0.6. THE ESTIMATED TOTAL FLIGHT TIME ON 19 GALLONS WAS 2.5 HOURS. THEY LEFT BIRCHWOOD FLYING AT APPROX. 1500 FT. AGL. THE ENGINE STUMBLED AND QUIT OVER THE PALMER HAY FLATS. WHEN THE ENGINE QUIT CARB HEAT WAS APPLIED AND NO DIFFERENCE WAS NOTED. PIC POINTED THE AIRCRAFT NOSE DOWN. THE AIRMAN WERE ABLE TO RESTART THE ENGINE AS THEY CONTINUED TO FLY TO AK50. THE ENGINE QUITE AGAIN APPROXIMATELY 3 MILES FROM AK50. PIC ELECTED TO RUN STRAIGHT IN ON RUNWAY 24 WITH A 8-10 MPH TAIL WIND. HE PUT THE AIRCRAFT INTO A SLIP AND RECOVERED OVER AK50. HE REALIZED HE WAS TO0 FAST; RATHER THAN LAND TOO FAST AND POTENTIALLY FLIP HE DECIDED TO CONTINUE ON INTO THE TREES AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY. PIC WAS IN THE BACK OF THE AIRCRAFT.

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 ANC14LA052Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportPalmer, AKThe pilot’s failure to ensure adequate fuel was onboard to complete the flight, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and the subsequent loss of engine power. Contributing to the accident was the improperly calibrated fuel quantity indication system.Jul 9, 2014 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N68593 · 1

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

Incident 20110929023249ITaxi · Scappoose, ORAircraft nosed over while taxiing resulting in prop strike.Sep 29, 2011 · Minor damage