- Date
- March 27, 1983, 18:30 local (Mar 28, 1983, 01:30 UTC)
- Place
- Worland, WY
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8977DPiper PA-18A-150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830327012559A
- Case key
- 16057
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 acft collided with a ditch and collapsed the landing gear during a forced landing after the engine quit during a ferry flight. The plt refueled the empty right fuel tank and topped-off the left tank with 3 gallons of fuel before the initial takeoff on the day of the accident. The plt reported that during the flt he flew on the left tank until it was almost empty before switching to the right tank. Shortly after switching tanks the engine stopped. The plt switched backto the left tank and was able to regain power. But soon the engine quit again and the plt used the hand primer while switching to the right tank. The engine would not restart so the plt selected a dirt road for landing. Investigaiton revealed several discrepancies in the fuel system. No filter screen was installed in the gascolator. The mixture controlwas not properly attached. The right fuel tank was contaminated. The right tank drain sump could not be operated. The carburetor contained water and contamination in the bottom of the float chamber.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8977D
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18A-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1625
- Airframe hours
- 3,073
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-150, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Jim Booth
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 4, 1982
- Departed
- TOR · Torrington, WY
- Destination
- WRL · Worland, WY
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
- 30
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 485 total · 460 in this make and model · 485 as pilot in command · 90 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 39 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.