- Date
- April 30, 2008, 19:28 local (23:28 UTC)
- Place
- Remus, MI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N28403Luscombe 8A
- Defining event
- Approach: Fuel contamination
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Grand Rapids, MI, FSDO
- Case key
- 68022
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 during approach due to fuel contamination. Contributing to the accident were the unsuitable terrain and a tree.
Findings · 3
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 during a local flight while on a base leg the engine began running rough. He turned final, applied power, and the engine began running smoothly. The engine then ran rough and smooth again according to the pilot. He said that the airplane contacted the ground short of the runway due to the loss of engine power. He stated that a wing impacted a tree during the landing. The airplane subsequently nosed over. Federal Aviation Administration Inspectors examined the wreckage. A brown varnish like substance was found seeping from the carburetor's fuel line. No further pre-impact anomalies were detected. The pilot reported that he used "automobile" gas and that "some fuel in the gas tank was left over from last year." His safety recommendation was that he "will never use other than fresh fuel [and] will completely drain old gas from tank at end of flying season."
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during a local flight while on a base leg the engine began running rough. He turned final, applied power, and the engine began running smoothly. The engine then ran rough and smooth again according to the pilot. He said that the airplane contacted the ground short of the runway due to the loss of engine power. He stated that a wing impacted a tree during the landing. The airplane subsequently nosed over. Federal Aviation Administration Inspectors examined the wreckage. A brown varnish like substance was found seeping from the carburetor's fuel line. No further pre-impact anomalies were detected. The pilot reported that he used "automobile" gas and that "some fuel in the gas tank was left over from last year." His safety recommendation was that he "will never use other than fresh fuel [and] will completely drain old gas from tank at end of flying season."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N28403
- Reported as
- Luscombe 8A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1270
- Airframe hours
- 3,165.7
- Engine
- Continental A65-8, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Pilot
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 1, 2007
- Departed
- W53 · Remus, MI
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
- 56
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Sport Pilot, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 650 total · 15 in this make and model · 600 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 12 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.96 inHg
- Observed at
- MOP
Other investigations on N28403 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.