- Date
- August 13, 1989, 19:47 local (23:47 UTC)
- Place
- Painesville, OH
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N69GMAcroduster SA-750
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report July 9, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890813028989A
- Case key
- 14189
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 improper use of the fuel selector for takeoff, which resulted in fuel starvation; and his improper use of emergency procedures after the engine lost power. The pilot's lack of familiarity with the aircraft and the trees were contributing factors.
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 plt had no previous flt time in this acft & was practicing ground taxi opns. Subsequently, he elected to takeoff. When he took off, the fuel selector was positioned to use fuel from the upper tank, which was nearly empty. After the acft climbed to about 400 ft AGL, the eng lost power from fuel starvation. Subsequently, the acft hit trees & crashed as the plt was attempting to glide to an open field. There were aprx 6 gals of fuel remaining in the acft's lower (main) fuel tank.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N69GM
- Reported as
- Acroduster SA-750
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 5
- Airframe hours
- 102
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-A1A, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Anthony Debevc
- Registered owner
- Debevc, Tony
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 25, 1988 · 21 hours before
- Departed
- PVZ
- Destination
- PVZ
- Airport
- PVZ · Casement
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 59
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 1,450 total · 1,400 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 160° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 4 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CLE
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.