- Date
- July 1, 1989, 09:20 local (13:20 UTC)
- Place
- Bridgeport, WV
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N1975NCessna 140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 2, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890701018839A
- Case key
- 11512
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 because of fuel starvation. Fuel starvation occurred because of unporting of fuel from the tank outlet when the aircraft was in a slip attitude shortly before the power loss. A contributing factor is inadequate information in the flight manual cautioning of the potential unporting of the fuel outlet.
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 was on climb out, at 200 ft AGL, after doing the third t & g lndg, when the eng started losing pwr. The plt made a forced lndg in an open field and the acft struck a pole and tree. The plt said he put the acft in a left slip during the third lndg approach and was using the left fuel tank during the flight. Examination of the acft revealed the fuel tanks each had 5 gals of fuel. Each tank capacity is 12.5 gals. The eng started on the first attempt and operated without discrepancy during the post accident examination.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1975N
- Reported as
- Cessna 140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12211
- Engine
- Continental C-85-12, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Milan, Jr. Patrick
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 24, 1989 · 5 hours before
- Airport
- CKB
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
- 55
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 11,990 total · 150 in this make and model · 7,865 as pilot in command · 95 in the last 90 days · 32 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CKB, 1 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.