- Date
- December 29, 1989, 15:45 local (20:45 UTC)
- Place
- Winston Salem, NC
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N5145VMorrisey 2150A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 16, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19891229054319A
- Case key
- 8196
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
A blocked fuel vent line, which prevented normal fuel flow to the engine and subsequent loss of power.
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
About 15 minutes after takeoff, the pilot experienced a complete power loss. His attempts to restart the engine failed & the airplane crashed in a wooded area. A wreckage examination disclosed that the left fuel vent was blocked, which restricted and terminated the gravity flow of fuel to the engine. This blockage was located within the wing structure. The pilot was operating from the left fuel tank when the engine quit.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5145V
- Reported as
- Morrisey 2150A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- SP-41
- Airframe hours
- 1,640
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Neal A. Self
- Registered owner
- Neala Self
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 24, 1989 · 23 hours before
- Departed
- Wilksboro, NC
- Destination
- Trinity, NC
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
- 64
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 223 total · 20 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- INT
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.