- Date
- June 28, 1992, 17:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Saluda, VA
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N43364Madsen Rans S-12
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 25, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920628021949A
- Case key
- 11811
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
Water contamination of the fuel, and an inadequate preflight by the pilot.
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 and passenger were circling to photograph a lighthouse, while overwater at 100 feet AGL, when the engine lost power. The pilot ditched the airplane in water, where the occupants were rescued by personnel on a nearby boat. The aircraft remained afloat until it was recovered. An examination of the airplane revealed water contaminated fuel in the fuel pump and fuel tanks. Seven gallons of fuel was drained from the tanks, which included about 20 ounces of water. The fuel tank and pump did not come in contact with the water, while the airplane was afloat.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N43364
- Reported as
- Madsen Rans S-12
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 1191148
- Airframe hours
- 41
- Engine
- Rotax 582-B, 66 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Ronald F. Madsen
- Registered owner
- Ronald F. Madsen
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · June 5, 1992 · 41 hours before
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
- 60
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 140 total · 41 in this make and model · 88 as pilot in command · 44 in the last 90 days · 31 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 86 °F
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 N43364 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.