- Date
- March 2, 1982, 11:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Brownsboro, AL
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N37WSSmith Mini
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 2, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820302001459A
- Case key
- 70052
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
The pilot took off with a malfunctioning fuel quantity guage. Before takeoff, he visually checked the fuel and estimated that the tank was about 1/2 full. After returning from a local flight, the engine lost power during a turn to final approach for landing. Unable to safely land on the airport, the pilot landed in a plowed field. The gear collapsed and the aircraft was substantially damaged. No fuel was found in the fuel tank.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N37WS
- Reported as
- Smith Mini
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- WS101
- Airframe hours
- 73
- Engine
- Lycoming O-290-G, 135 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Al Huff
- Registered owner
- Al Huff
- Departed
- Brownsboro, AL
- Destination
- Brownsboro, AL
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
- Age
- 34
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 356 total · 2 in this make and model · 308 as pilot in command · 33 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 138 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.