- Date
- November 19, 2011, 12:40 local (19:40 UTC)
- Place
- Denver, CO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N80775Globe GC-1B
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Loss of engine power (total)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 6, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- FAA report
- 20111119027479A
- Case key
- 82363
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
A loss of engine power due to fuel starvation as a result of a loose fuel line fitting.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot stated that the engine began to gradually lose power shortly after takeoff and that he could smell raw fuel. As the pilot turned back to the airport, the engine stopped running, and he made a forced landing to a field short of the runway. During the landing, the airplane nosed over and the vertical stabilizer was bent. A postaccident examination of the engine revealed a fitting that secured the main fuel line to the engine was loose and leaking fuel. The interruption of fuel was enough to cause the loss of engine power.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated the engine began to gradually lose power shortly after takeoff and he could smell raw fuel. As the pilot turned back to the airport, the engine stopped running and he made a forced landing to a muddy field short of the runway. During the landing, the airplane nosed over and the vertical stabilizer was bent. A postaccident examination of the engine revealed a fitting that secured the main fuel line to the engine was loose and leaking fuel.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N80775
- Reported as
- Globe GC-1B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 178
- Airframe hours
- 2,523
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1D, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Kardos Neil M
- Registered owner
- Kardos Neil M
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 1, 2011
- Departed
- APA · Denver, CO
- Destination
- APA · Denver, CO
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- APA · Centennial, runway 28
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
- 68
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial, Flight engineer, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 18,600 total · 1,700 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 14, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.5 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.