- Date
- September 22, 1985, 18:15 local (22:15 UTC)
- Place
- Point Pleasant, WV
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N21GTStarduster SA-100
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850922046729A
- Case key
- 6647
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 plt stated that she made a normal preflt. She reported that the float type fuel gage indicated that the main fuel tank, which had a capacity of 12 gal, was half full. While climbing thru about 500 ft AGL after takeoff, the eng sputtered & lost power. The plt pumped the throttle & the eng began running again for about 1 or 2 secs, then it quit again. The plt turned away from houses & tried to glide to a corn field. However, she was unable to reach the field & landed the acft in trees. An exam of the acft revealed only residual fuel was remaining in the main fuel tank & the fuel selector was in that position. The left aux fuel tank was empty, but the right aux tank was nearly full. Due to the design of the main fuel tank, the fuel level in it could not be visually seen. Also, due to the placement of the bobber/float on the main fuel indicator, the rod could stick to the sides of the filler neck. A witness verified that the float indicator gage indicated half full during the preflt.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N21GT
- Reported as
- Starduster SA-100
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- GTG-1
- Airframe hours
- 348
- Engine
- Lycoming O-290-G, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Ms. Hilda F. Worley
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 8, 1985 · 12 hours before
- Departed
- 3I2
- Destination
- 3I2
- Airport
- Mason County, runway 25, 4,000 × 75 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
- Age
- 36
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 175 total · 2 in this make and model · 94 as pilot in command · 7 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.