- Date
- August 10, 2013, 15:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Humboldt, SD
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N230AKSuper 18 S18-STD
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Fuel contamination
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 21, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20130810015489A
- Case key
- 87759
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 inadvertent addition of water into the fuel system and his improper preflight inspection, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel contamination.
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 reported that the engine stopped producing power shortly after takeoff. He initially tried to land on a road, but the engine momentarily re-started before it stopped completely. The pilot then made a forced landing to a corn field, which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing and airframe. Examination of the engine found water in the carburetor. The pilot stated that when he placed auto gas in the airplane's fuel tanks earlier that day, he used gas cans from his shop, which most likely contained water. He also did not sump the wing tanks prior to the flight.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that the engine stopped producing power shortly after takeoff. He initially tried to land on a road, but the engine momentarily re-started before it stopped completely. The pilot then made a forced landing to a corn field, which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing and airframe. Examination of the engine found water in the carburetor. The pilot stated that when he placed auto gas in the airplane's fuel tanks earlier that day, he used gas cans from his shop, which most likely contained water. He also did not sump the wing tanks prior to the flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N230AK
- Reported as
- Super 18 S18-STD
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- S18-STD-01
- Airframe hours
- 333.9
- Engine
- Lycoming 0-320-A2A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Super 18 LLC
- Registered owner
- Super 18 LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special); Special, Special light-sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 18, 2013
- Departed
- None · Brandon, SD
- Destination
- Humboldt, SD
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
- 62
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,000 total · 500 in this make and model · 2 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 26, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 164 KB 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.