# NTSB LAX95LA150: Aeronca 7AC, N1937E, El Cajon, CA, March 31, 1995 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: March 31, 1995, 10:30 local (18:30 UTC) - Place: El Cajon, CA - Coordinates: 32.839263, -116.880393 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.8393&lon=-116.8804&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 1 minor - Status: Completed, report August 23, 1995 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 29065 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=LAX95LA150 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/29065/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX95LA150 ## Probable cause a loss of engine power due to an in-flight separation of the fuel system gascolator glass bowl resulting in a premature fuel exhaustion. The rough/uneven terrain is a factor in this accident. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power(total) - mech failure/malf, cruise - fuel system,gascolator - separation (cause) - maintenance,service bulletin/letter - not performed, company/operator management - fluid,fuel - exhaustion (cause) - Forced landing, descent - emergency - In flight collision with terrain/water, descent - emergency - terrain condition - rough/uneven (contributing factor) ## Analysis THE PILOT WAS CONDUCTING A LOCAL VFR FLIGHT AND THE PILOT EXECUTED AN EMERGENCY LANDING ON A ROUGH/UNEVEN FIELD FOLLOWING A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER. RESPONDING FIRE DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL AND FAA INSPECTORS DID NOT FIND ANY FUEL IN THE AIRCRAFT FUEL TANKS OR ON THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT WAS EQUIPPED WITH AN ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT GLASS GASCOLATOR BOWL. THE FUEL SYSTEM GASCOLATOR BOWL WAS NOT FOUND IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT OR ON THE GROUND ANYWHERE AT THE ACCIDENT SITE. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE MANUFACTURER RECOMMENDED REPLACEMENT OF THE GLASS GASCOLATOR BOWL WITH A METAL BOWL IN A SERVICE LETTER ISSUED IN 1946. THE ACTION WAS TAKEN DUE TO INCIDENCE OF THE GLASS BOWLS BREAKING IN FLIGHT. THE GLASS BOWL REPLACEMENT WAS NOT A SUBJECT OF ANY AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES ON THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE MAKE OR MODEL. ## Factual narrative On March 31, 1995, at 1030 hours Pacific standard time, an Aeronca 7AC, N1937E, collided with the terrain while executing an emergency landing at El Cajon, California. The emergency landing resulted from a total loss of engine power. The pilot was conducting a local visual flight rules personal flight. The airplane, registered to and operated by the pilot and passenger, sustained substantial damage. The certificated airline transport pilot sustained minor injuries; the passenger sustained serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated at Gillespie Field, San Diego, California, at 1015 hours. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), San Diego Flight Standards District Office, airworthiness inspector conducted the on-scene investigation. The inspector reported the airplane came to rest, right-side-up, in a rough surface, high-vegetation field about 300 yards north of Interstate 8. The right wing was canted downward. The airplane sustained extensive structural damage, including a buckled firewall, but the propeller was in the horizontal position and undamaged. San Diego Fire Department personnel told the inspector they did not detect a strong fuel odor when they arrived at the accident site. The inspector noted that the fuel tank contained " . . . only a small unmeasurable amount of fuel . . . ." The fuel tank was not compromised during the accident; however, the glass gascolator bowl was missing. The inspector found pieces of the gascolator bowl imbedded in the seal area. Recovery personnel told the inspector that there were no glass remnants of the gascolator under or within the surrounding area of the wreckage. The FAA inspector established continuity of the engine gear and valve train assembly. The inspector reported the presence of thumb compression when the crankshaft was rotated. The spark plugs exhibited normal operating signatures. Both magnetos produced spark when their respective drive shafts were rotated. Champion Aircraft Corporation Service Helps and Hints #15, Replacing of Glass Gascolator Bowl with Metal Gascolator Bowls, was originally issued on August 23, 1946, and reissued on July 1, 1964. The service letter states, in part: It has been reported that a few glass gascolator bowls have broken. Reports indicate the glass bowl broke near the bottom and was caused by a combination of vibration and too much pressure applied on the adjustment clamp. In order to eliminate any such possibility, we are changing to metal gascolator bowls as standard equipment on both our Champion Serial #4641 and up and Chief Serial #582 and up. Compliance with this service letter is not mandatory. This issue is not addressed in an airworthiness directive. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N1937E](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N1937E), registered now, S/N 7AC-5504, built 1946 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: AERONCA 7AC - Registry model: [Aeronca 7AC](https://openairdocs.org/model/aeronca-7ac) (registry code 2110102) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental A&C65 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-a-c65-series) (registry code 17003, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 7AC-5504 - Airframe hours: 4399 - Engines: CONTINENTAL A65-8 65 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: James D Waller & Ray Welch - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, September 21, 1994, 25 hours before - Departed: SEE ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 61; airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: front; flight hours: 25,000 total, 25 in this make and model, 22,000 as pilot in command, 15 in the last 90 days, 8 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Visibility: 30 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 19950331006399A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19950331006399A), Mar 31, 1995: Bbavia 7AC, El Cajon, CA, Substantial damage. Lost power. Crash landed. Fuel tanks were empty. Gasco later glass bowl was missing. No fuel spill in crash area. 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.