- Date
- February 24, 2000, 18:24 local (23:24 UTC)
- Place
- Clearwater, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N64WPNorth American NA-64
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 29, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20000224013499A
- Case key
- 48660
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
A total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation for und etermined reasons. This resulted in a forced landing to none suitable terrain, and a subsequent in-flight collision with trees and terrain.
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 pilot entered downwind for landing. Upon turning final, the airplane experienced a total loss of engine power resulting in a forced landing to none suitable terrain and subsequent in-flight collision with trees and terrain. Examination of the engine assembly and accessories revealed a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation for undetermined reasons.
Factual narrative
On February 24, 2000, at about 1824 eastern standard time, a North American NA-64, N64WP, registered to Castle Aircraft Sales Inc., operating as a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight crashed in the vicinity of Clearwater, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The commercial pilot reported no injuries. The flight originated from Brooksville, Florida, about 29 minutes before the accident.
The pilot stated he called UNICOM and entered right downwind for runway 34 at Clearwater Air Park, Clearwater, Florida. Power was reduced, lowered flaps, moved the prop control partially forward, verified the right fuel tank was selected, and checked that the mixture was full rich. He turned base leg, and called UNIOCOM stating his intentions. As he began the turn to final, he noticed that that the engine power was reducing. He scanned the instruments and turned the electric back up boost pump on. The fuel selector was switched from the right tank, to the left tank, and back again to the right tank. He realized he would be unable to make the runway and initiated a forced landing to a street. The airplane collided with trees and a telephone pole. The airplane rotated to the right and came to a complete stop.
Examination of the airplane was conducted by the FAA. The fuel supply line from the engine pump to the carburetor was found severely kinked. When the supply line was disconnected at the carburetor, no fuel was available. When the kink was removed, fuel came out of the line. The FAA concluded that fuel starvation was suspected, and the actual cause could not be determined. Tom Reilly Vintage Aircraft, Inc., looked at the aircraft on behalf of the insurance adjuster, and stated that the engine stopped as a result of fuel starvation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N64WP
- Reported as
- North American NA-64
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 64-3018
- Airframe hours
- 2,200
- Engine
- Wright R975-28, 420 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Castle Aircraft Sales Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 5, 1999 · 70 hours before
- Departed
- BKV · Brooksville, FL
- Destination
- CLW
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
- 42
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,250 total · 11 in this make and model · 1,100 as pilot in command · 32 in the last 90 days · 18 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PIE
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.