- Date
- September 17, 1989, 18:05 local (23:05 UTC)
- Place
- Semmes, AL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N83732Aeronca 7AC
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 15, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890917035569A
- Case key
- 8067
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
Improper replacement of the fuel cap gasket by the pilot, which resulted in a blocked fuel cap vent and fuel starvation. Trees in the emergency landing area contributed to aircraft damage.
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
After an annual inspection was completed, the pilot elected to replace a fuel cap gasket that he had previously ordered. During the replacement, he noticed that the new gasket was not exactly like the original, but he thought it would be satisfactory. He then refueled the aircraft and made several takeoffs and landings. After about a 30 minute flight, a passenger boarded the aircraft and the pilot took off again. During the initial climb after takeoff, the engine lost power. The pilot made an emergency landing, but was unable to stop the aircraft before it hit trees. After the accident, the pilot discovered that the fuel cap vent had become blocked by the new gasket. Also, he noted that during the landing sequence, the fuel cap was dislodged enough to allow air back in the tank and the engine began running again.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N83732
- Reported as
- Aeronca 7AC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7AC-2410
- Airframe hours
- 5,368
- Engine
- Continental C-90-8F, 90 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Alexander G. Grimes, Jr.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 17, 1989 · 25 hours before
- Airport
- AL74 · Grimes Field, runway 5, 1,800 × 100 ft, grass/turf
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
- 44
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 267 total · 3 in this make and model · 195 as pilot in command · 9 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 17 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °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.