- Date
- January 16, 1992, 16:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Columbia, SC
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N1976NCessna 140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 17, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920116060229A
- Case key
- 8495
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-in-command's failure to assure that an adequate supply of fuel was on board the airplane for the intended flight, and his failure to maintain adequate airspeed during the forced landing resulting in a stall/spin. A factor contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of experience in a Cessna 140.
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 lift-off, at aprx 300 ft AGL, the aircraft veered sharply to the left and the nose dropped. It remained in a left turn in a nose-down attitude until impact. Fuel on board was estimated to be aprx 5 gals. The aircraft operation manual states 'do not take off with less than 1/4 tank.' The fuel capacity of the aircraft is 25 gals. Examination of the carburetor revealed an impact mark on the float which matched with the fuel jet in the bottom of the carburetor. Tests showed that with fuel in the carburetor, the float does not make contact with the fuel jet. There was no record in either the pilot's logbook, or the right seat ATP certificated pilot's logbook, of previous experience in a Cessna 140.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1976N
- Reported as
- Cessna 140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12212
- Airframe hours
- 1,374
- Engine
- Continental C85, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Martin, S. & Campbell, J.
- Registered owner
- Watkins, Thomas M.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 12, 1991 · 1 hours before
- Airport
- CUB · Owens Downtown Airport, runway 13, 4,600 × 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
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Unknown, Unknown
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,777 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 37 °F, dew point 3 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CAE, 10 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.
Other investigations on N1976N · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.