- Date
- June 6, 1989, 19:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Plainwell, MI
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N1003HAeronca 15AC
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890606014389A
- Case key
- 14194
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 decision to fly the airplane which had not been properly maintained which resulted in the fuel system blockage.
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 airplane was substantially damaged when its engine lost power immediately after takeoff. The airplane struck the ground with the left wing and cartwheeled to a stop. The pilot reported he had been preparing the airplane for its annual inspection and decided to go flying. After filling one of the airplanes previously empty fuel tanks with auto fuel, he ran the engine and decided to takeoff. The airplane did not have a proper STC for the auto fuel being used.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1003H
- Reported as
- Aeronca 15AC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15AC-5
- Airframe hours
- 2,528
- Engine
- Continental C-145-2, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Konrad J. Jockus
- Registered owner
- Linda L. Jockus
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 16, 1987 · 35 hours before
- Airport
- 61D · Otsego Plainwell, runway 27, 2,650 × 50 ft, asphalt
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
- 49
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Expired
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 830 total · 500 in this make and model · 830 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.