- Date
- November 7, 1992, 12:55 local (17:55 UTC)
- Place
- Columbia, SC
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9128DPiper PA-18-150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 21, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19921107045839A
- Case key
- 8702
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 loss of engine power which resulted from fuel starvation when the carburetor float valve stuck in the closed position. A factor was the soft field .
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 completed refueling the airplane and took off to continue the banner tow operation. During climbout the engine lost power; the pilot's efforts to restore normal engine operation failed. The pilot established an emergency descent to a soybean field for a forced landing; during the touchdown phase of the emergency, the airplane nosed over. The post accident examination of the airplane disclosed that the engine operated normally between idle and the maximum RPM ranges. However, the carburetor examination, disclosed that the float valve would stick in the closed (fuel off) position. A review of the operator's refueling policy revealed that a blend of 100 low lead aviation fuel and automotive gasoline were used in airplanes granted a supplemental type certificate for automotive fuel. N9128D was granted an STC for the use of automotive fuel.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9128D
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-6509
- Airframe hours
- 6,427
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A3A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Operator
- Sky Signs Inc.
- Registered owner
- Emu Inc.,
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 15, 1992 · 48 hours before
- Departed
- CUB
- Destination
- CUB
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
- 29
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,696 total · 1,360 in this make and model · 1,600 as pilot in command · 258 in the last 90 days · 73 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 30° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CAE, 3 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 N9128D · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.