- Date
- September 7, 2002, 09:10 local (13:10 UTC)
- Place
- Bloomingburg, OH
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N278ERReiley Seawind 3000
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 5, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO-05
- FAA report
- 20020907037949A
- Case key
- 55646
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
The pilot's inadvertent use of the fuel shutoff valve which resulted in a subsequent total loss of engine power 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
While climbing to altitude, the engine oil temperature began to rise, and the pilot elected to return to the airport. While proceeding to the airport, the pilot decided to open the cowl flaps to see if the temperature would decrease, but by mistake, pulled the fuel shutoff lever. The engine lost total power, and after attempts to restart the engine, the pilot initiated a forced landing to a grass field. Unable to make the grass field, the pilot touched down in a cornfield, struck utility lines, and nosed over, coming to rest inverted.
Factual narrative
On September 7, 2002, about 0910 eastern daylight time, a homebuilt Seawind 3000, N278ER, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Bloomingburg, Ohio. The certificated private pilot was seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the pilot, he had been experiencing high engine oil temperatures on previous flights, and was attempting to determine the cause. After departing the Fayette County Airport (I23), Washington Court House, Ohio, the oil temperature began to rise, and the pilot elected to return to the airport. While proceeding to the airport, the pilot decided to open the cowl flaps to see if the temperature would decrease, but mistakenly, pulled the fuel shutoff lever. The engine lost total power, and after unsuccessful attempts to restart the engine, the pilot initiated a forced landing to a grass field. Unable to make the grass field, the pilot touched down in a cornfield, struck low-lying utility lines, and nosed over, coming to rest inverted.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N278ER
- Reported as
- Reiley Seawind 3000
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 138
- Airframe hours
- 10
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Eddie D. Reiley
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 10, 2002 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- I23 · Washington Cour, OH
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
- 51
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, Unknown
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 800 total · 10 in this make and model · 800 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 110° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- CVG, 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.