- Date
- November 20, 2000, 11:15 local (17:15 UTC)
- Place
- Iuka, MS
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N65717Lake LA-4-200
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 10, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20001120036129A
- Case key
- 50661
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 loss of engine power due to fuel contamination resulting in fuel starvation, a forced landing and the subsequent in-flight collision with a wire.
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
According to the pilot he departed with 'full fuel tanks (40 gallons),' and landed after a flight of 50 minutes. After spending time on the ground and not refueling, he departed for his home airport. He stated, '...cruising at 4,500 feet, engine began surging (fuel pressure fluctuating). Turned on aux fuel pump surging stopped for about 1 minute, then reoccurred, turned toward...[nearest] airport for emergency landing...insufficient gliding distance to make runway...struck power lines about 50 yards from runway and went inverted.' A witness heard the engine cutting in and out, before impacting with wires. Inspection of the airplane's fuel system, after the accident revealed, a small amount of fuel in the fuel lines, water, excessive contamination, corrosion, rust, and trash in the fuel. The fuel tank bladder was contaminated with rust, corrosion, trash, and water. The engine was rotated and had no binding; compression was noted on all cylinders. There was no external damage noted to the engine.
Factual narrative
On November 20, 2000, about 1115 central standard time, a Lake LA-4-200, N65717, owned by a private individual impacted with power lines near the Iuka Airport, Iuka, Mississippi. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. The airplane was substantially damaged. The airline transport-rated pilot and airline transport-rated second pilot reported serious injuries. The flight departed from the Muscle Shoals Airport (MSL), Alabama, at 1030.
According to the pilot's statement, he had flown to MSL from Olive Branch, Mississippi, a flight of 50 minutes arriving at MSL at 0950. He stated, "...departed [MSL]...with full fuel tanks (40 gallons)...5 miles west Iuka...cruising at 4,500 feet, engine began surging (fuel pressure fluctuating). Turned on aux fuel pump surging stopped for about 1 minute, then reoccurred, turned toward Iuka...Airport for emergency landing...insufficient gliding distance to make runway...struck power lines about 50 yards from runway and went inverted." The pilot had stated to the FAA that he did not receive any fuel at MSL.
A witness heard the engine cutting in and out, before impacting with wires. According to the FAA inspector's statement, inspection of the airplane's fuel system, after the accident revealed, "...fuel line removed at flow divider...no fuel noted...fuel control supply line removed at engine fuel pump, small amount of fuel noted...Fuel supply line removed at engine fuel pump inlet, small amount fuel noted also contaminated with water...fuel filter removed, filter has excessive contamination, corrosion, rust, and trash. Filter was also saturated with water...fuel tank bladder checked, contaminated with rust, corrosion, trash, and water...the engine was rotated and had no binding, compression was noted on all cylinders...there was no external damage noted to the engine."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N65717
- Reported as
- Lake LA-4-200
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 619
- Airframe hours
- 1,070
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-A1B, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Steven Roddy
- Registered owner
- Ronald Otto [Reg Expired]
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 10, 2000 · 20 hours before
- Departed
- MSL · Muscle Shoals, AL
- Destination
- OLV · Olive Branch, MS
- Airport
- 15M · Iuka Airport, runway 36, 3,200 × 60 ft, asphalt
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
- 34
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight engineer, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 23,350 total · 150 in this make and model · 14,800 as pilot in command · 250 in the last 90 days · 65 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 46 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TUP, 60 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.
Other investigations on N65717 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.