- Date
- August 18, 1991, 19:46 local (Aug 19, 1991, 00:46 UTC)
- Place
- Sparta, MI
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N52KPFisher FT101
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 4, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910818034579A
- Case key
- 14833
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
An improper preflight inspection by the pilot. Factors contributing to this accident were inadequate altitude for the turn back towards the runway and the stall/spin encountered by the pilot.
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 single engine homebuilt airplane sat outside during a heavy rainstorm according to a witness. The storm passed by and the pilot decided to fly the airplane. A witness stated he observed the pilot sit in the airplane running the engine for approximately five minutes before takeoff. During climbout the airplane's engine ceased operating at approximately 150 to 200 feet above the ground. Statement from witnesses conflict with each other. Two stated the engine gradually lost power, one stated the engine stopped after sounding like it had a fouled sparkplug. The pilot stated the engine failure was due to water in the fuel tank. The pilot attempted a turn back to the airport due to obstructions which were in his emergency landing descent path. The airplane was observed to stall and spin until colliding with the ground. An on scene investigation revealed that no fuel existed in the airplanes fuel tank or carburetor float bowl.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N52KP
- Reported as
- Fisher FT101
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- KP-1
- Engine
- Kawasaki TA440A-F204, 40 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Keneth Porritt
- Registered owner
- Keneth Porritt
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Airport
- NONE · Wilderness, runway 9, 2,615 × 100 ft, grass/turf
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
- 72
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 480 total · 150 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.