- Date
- July 30, 2003, 11:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Fort Payne, AL
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N7156WLancair 235
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 28, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Birmingham FSDO
- FAA report
- 20030730016409A
- Case key
- 57613
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to properly reconnect the mixture control cable resulting in a total loss of engine power, and subsequent in-flight collision with the trees.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
According to the pilot, he removed the carburetor from the accident airplane to troubleshoot another airplane. He reinstalled the carburetor on the accident airplane, and flew it for approximately 20 minutes. While on final approach to land on runway 4, the engine lost power. The airplane collided with trees during an attempted emergency landing. Examination of the engine revealed no mechanical malfunctions. Examination of the carburetor control system revealed that the mixture control cable was not connected. The mixture control arm on the carburetor was in the idle cut-off position.
Factual narrative
On July 30, 2003, at 1100 central daylight time, a Lancair 235, N7156W, registered to and operated by a commercial pilot, collided with the ground following a complete loss of engine power at Isbell Field, Ft. Payne, Alabama. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91.Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The airplane was substantially damaged and the pilot received minor injuries. The flight departed Isbell Field, Ft. Payne, Alabama, on July 30, 2003, at 1030.
According to the pilot, he removed the carburetor from the accident airplane to trouble-shoot another airplane. He reinstalled the carburetor on the accident airplane, and flew it for approximately 20 minutes. While on final approach to land on runway 4, the engine quit. The airplane collided with trees during an attempted emergency landing.
Examination of the engine revealed no mechanical malfunctions. Examination of the carburetor control system revealed that the mixture control cable was not connected. The mixture control arm on the carburetor was in the idle cut-off position.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7156W
- Reported as
- Lancair 235
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- JJS3
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- John J Shippey
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- 4A9 · Fort Payne, AL
- Airport
- 4A9 · Isbell Field, runway 4, 5,000 × 100 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Injuries
- Minor
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.09 inHg
- Observed at
- KGAD, 25 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.