# NTSB FTW95LA175: Briggs Glasair III, N55EE, Crescent, OK, April 19, 1995 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: April 19, 1995, 13:30 local (18:30 UTC) - Place: Crescent, OK - Coordinates: 35.939727, -97.579406 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.9397&lon=-97.5794&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report August 23, 1995 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 19400 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=FTW95LA175 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/19400/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW95LA175 ## Probable cause TOTAL NON-MECHANICAL POWER LOSS DUE TO A FUEL SYSTEM VAPOR LOCK. A FACTOR WAS THE UNEVEN TERRAIN ON WHICH THE FORCED LANDING WAS MADE. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power(total) - nonmechanical, cruise - normal - fuel system - vapor lock (cause) - Forced landing, descent - emergency - Nose over, landing - roll - terrain condition - rough/uneven (contributing factor) ## Analysis THE PILOT LANDED AT PONCA CITY, OKLAHOMA, AFTER A FLIGHT FROM ST. CLOUD, MINNESOTA. THE ENGINE WOULD NOT START AFTER THE AIRPLANE WAS REFUELED. AFTER MAKING SEVERAL PERFUNCTORY CHECKS, THE ENGINE STARTED. IT RAN ROUGH INITIALLY, THEN SMOOTHED OUT. THE PILOT MADE A SHORT TEST FLIGHT AND DISCOVERED THE ENGINE OPERATED SMOOTHLY AT LOW AND HIGH MANIFOLD PRESSURE SETTINGS, BUT RAN ROUGH AT MID-RANGE MANIFOLD PRESSURE SETTINGS. SUSPECTING A FUEL VAPOR LOCK, THE RESTRICTOR VALVE IN THE FUEL INJECTOR WAS REPLACED. THE PILOT TOOK OFF FOR OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA. NEAR CRESCENT, OKLAHOMA, THE ENGINE LOST POWER AND THE PILOT MADE A FORCED LANDING IN A WHEAT FIELD. DURING THE LANDING ROLL, THE NOSE WHEEL HIT A SMALL DIP IN THE FIELD AND THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER. ## Factual narrative On April 19, 1995, approximately 1330 central daylight time, a Briggs Glasair III, N55EE, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Crescent, Oklahoma. The private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The following is based on the pilot/operator report. The pilot was en route from St, Cloud, Minnesota, to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and landed at Ponca City, Oklahoma. After refueling, the engine would not start. The battery was recharged, a spark plug was checked for proper firing, and the fuel flow was confirmed by examining the fuel supply line, distributor, and injector. The engine still would not start. After waiting for 30 minutes, the engine was started but it ran rough. Eventually, it smoothed out and the magnetos checked normal. A short test flight revealed the engine would run smoothly at high and low manifold pressure settings and 2,450 RPM, but would run rough at mid-range manifold pressure settings. After landing, the fuel injector was removed and the restrictor valve was replaced. The engine then operated normally. Mechanics suspected a fuel vapor lock. The pilot took off from Ponca City. Near Crescent, Oklahoma, the engine lost power. Suspecting "vapor locking and fuel starvation", the pilot made a forced landing in a wheat field. During the landing roll, the nose wheel hit a small dip in the field and the airplane nosed over. During a post accident inspection by an FAA inspector, no anomalies were found that could account for the loss of power. ## Aircraft - Registration: N55EE (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: BRIGGS GLASAIR III (GLASAIR II) - Category: Airplane, amateur-built - Serial number: 3231 - Airframe hours: 270 - Engines: LYCOMING IO-540-K1H5 300 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Briggs, Leslie - Registered owner: Klein, Anna C. - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Last inspection: 100 hour, September 13, 1994, 70 hours before - Departed: PNC, PONCA CITY, OK - Destination: PWA, OKLAHOMA CITY, OK ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 64; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; flight hours: 954 total, 270 in this make and model, 24 in the last 90 days, 18 in the last 30 days, 3 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 360° at 7 knots - Visibility: 20 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 70 °F ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19950419019819A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19950419019819A), Apr 19, 1995: Amtr GLASAIRIII, Crescent, OK, Substantial damage. Prior flight had fuel system problems. En route lost power. Nosed over landing no anomalies. Suspect vapor lock. From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.