- Date
- June 6, 1989, 09:45 local (15:45 UTC)
- Place
- La Salle, CO
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N48749Ryan ST-3KR
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 28, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890606014409A
- Case key
- 17718
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
Foreign material (insect nest) blocking the fuel system vent, which resulted in a restriction of fuel flow and fuel starvation. A related factor was the alfalfa crop in the emergency landing area.
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 private plt was flying his antique airplane on a local flight to check the compass. This plane had been under restoration for an extended time prior to this flight. During flight, the engine lost power and the plt made a forced landing in an alfalfa field. After rolling 200 ft in 18 inch high alfalfa, the plane nosed over. A post accident inspection revealed evidence that the fuel tank vent was clogged by an insect nest (dirt), which restricted the flow of fuel. After the vent was cleaned, the engine ran normally.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N48749
- Reported as
- Ryan ST-3KR
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1402
- Airframe hours
- 3,514
- Engine
- Kinner R-56, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Harold F. Schmidt
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 8, 1989 · 2 hours before
- Departed
- GXY · Greeley, CO
- Destination
- GXY
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
- 60
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 759 total · 148 in this make and model · 713 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.