- Date
- July 27, 1991, 16:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Warrenton, VA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N43494Taylorcraft BC-12D
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 4, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 11699
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's inadequate preflight operations, which failed to detect the presence of water contamination in the fuel system, and resulted in the loss of power and subsequent forced landing. Other related factor: standing water on the grassy area.
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
Before the flight, the aircraft was refueled. The pilot completed his preflight which included draining the sumps. He did not notice any water in the fuel. He stated that shortly after takeoff and reaching an altitude of 500 feet AGL, the engine lost power. He said he tried to restart the engine but was unsuccessful. He tried to reverse direction and land on the runway but he was only able to land on the grassy area. The aircraft collided with some standing water and nosed over. FAA examination of the aircraft revealed water contamination in the fuel tanks.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N43494
- Reported as
- Taylorcraft BC-12D
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 116
- Airframe hours
- 127
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Kirk Wicker
- Registered owner
- Kirk Wicker
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 19, 1991 · 128 hours before
- Airport
- W66 · Warrenton-Fauquia, runway 6, 2,087 × 40 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
- 33
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,158 total · 99 in this make and model · 1,079 as pilot in command · 110 in the last 90 days · 35 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg