- Date
- September 1, 2010, 13:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Churchville, MD
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N2156KLuscombe 8A
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Loss of engine power (total)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 13, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20100901046169A
- Case key
- 77198
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 failure to ensure that the fuel valve was in the "ON" position during his preflight inspection, resulting in the loss of engine power during takeoff.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot stated that the takeoff was normal until the airplane was about 50 feet above the ground, at which time he closed the carburetor heat and the engine lost power. The airplane’s landing gear then contacted top of a security fence beyond the end of the runway and the airplane bounced into a plowed field in a nose-down attitude. The pilot further stated that before he exited the airplane, he checked the fuel valve and found that it was not locked in the full forward position; rather, it was midway between the "ON" and "OFF" positions. The pilot said that in retrospect, he was not positive that he had placed the fuel valve in the "ON" position during his preflight inspection, and that this was the reason for the engine losing power on takeoff.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that the take-off was normal until he was about 50 feet in the air, at which time the engine lost power after he closed the carburetor heat. The airplane’s landing gear then contacted top of a security fence beyond the end of the runway and bounced into a plowed field in a nose-down attitude. The pilot further stated that before he exited the airplane, he checked the fuel valve and found that it was not locked in the full forward position but was midway between the ON and OFF positions. The pilot said that in retrospect, he was not positive that he had placed the fuel valve in the full forward position during his pre-flight inspection, and that this was the reason for the engine losing power on take-off.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2156K
- Reported as
- Luscombe 8A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 4883
- Airframe hours
- 1,640
- Engine
- Continental A65, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- James C. Walker
- Registered owner
- James C. Walker
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Departed
- OW3 · Churchville, MD
- Destination
- OW3 · Churchville, MD
- Airport
- OW3 · Harford County Airport, runway 19, 1,800 × 50 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
- 75
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 20, 2010
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 7,947 total · 40 in this make and model · 7,350 as pilot in command · 119 in the last 90 days · 37 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.18 inHg
- Observed at
- MTN, 17 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.