- Date
- August 5, 2000, 18:45 local (22:45 UTC)
- Place
- Post Mills, VT
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N73044Cessna 140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 2, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20000805039989A
- Case key
- 49904
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
was the pilot's improper fuel management which resulted in power loss due to fuel starvation.
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 reported that he departed, flew a cross-country flight, and entered the traffic pattern while operating on the left fuel tank. On base leg, he switched to the right tank. After turning final, he initiated a go-around due to conflicting traffic. The engine sputtered and lost power on the go-around. There was insufficient altitude to reach a suitable landing area, and the airplane settled into the trees in a nose down attitude. The fuel selector was turned off as the airplane began hitting the trees. Examination revealed the left fuel tank was empty, and when the cap on the right fuel tank was loosened, fuel gushed out around the edges of the cap. When the fuel selector was positioned to the right tank, fuel flowed from the right tank to the sump, which was broken, and the odor of fuel was detected in the air. The airplane had operated for 1 hour, 43 minutes on a fuel tank with a listed capacity of 12.5 gallons.
Factual narrative
On August 5, 2000, about 1845 Eastern Daylight Time, a Cessna 140, N73044, was substantially damaged after it experienced a power loss during a go-around at Post Mills Airport, Post Mills, Vermont. The certificated airline transport pilot received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. No flight plan had been filed for the personal flight that was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
The pilot reported that he was returning home from Rockland, Maine, and entered the traffic pattern at Post Mills for landing. The takeoff and en route phase of the flight had been conducted with the fuel selector on the left tank. While on base leg for Runway 04, the fuel selector was repositioned to the right tank, which was full. On final approach, when the airplane was about 150 to 200 feet above the runway, an ultralight pulled in front of the pilot and he initiated a go-around. The pilot first turned to the right, to parallel the runway on the right side, after which, the engine lost power. The pilot stated that he turned the fuel selector, magneto switch, and master switch, each to off as the airplane began brushing the tops of the trees. The airplane descended through trees and came to rest on the ground in a nose low attitude.
An inspector from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) examined the airplane and reported the fuel selector was in the OFF position. There was no evidence of a fuel spill on the ground, and interviews with local fire department personnel, who initially responded to the accident site, revealed the odor of fuel was not detected.
The left fuel tank was empty, and when the cap was loosened on the right tank, fuel gushed out around the edges of the cap. When the fuel selector was positioned to the right tank, fuel flowed from the right tank to the sump, which was broken, and the odor of fuel was detected in the air.
According to the pilot, he had been airborne for 1 hour, 43 minutes.
According to the Cessna 140 owner's manual, the capacity of the wing fuel tanks was 12.5 gallons each.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N73044
- Reported as
- Cessna 140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 10262
- Airframe hours
- 4,436
- Engine
- Continental C-85-12F, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- William E. Clegg
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 1, 1999 · 53 hours before
- Departed
- RKD · Rockland, ME
- Destination
- 2B9
- Airport
- 2B9 · Post Mills, runway 4, 2,900 × 80 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
- 64
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine sea, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 23,677 total · 274 in this make and model · 4,166 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LEB, 16 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.