- Date
- October 19, 2005, 14:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Summersville, WV
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N722WWeber Glastar
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 28, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20051019032359A
- Case key
- 62705
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 a stuck carburetor float needle.
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 experimental homebuilt airplane was in cruise flight at 7,500 feet when the engine lost power. The pilot navigated toward the nearest airport by GPS, which was 16 miles away. The pilot found he could restore partial power by continuously pumping the primer handle. Upon reaching the airport, the engine stopped producing power when the pilot reached for the flap handle. The airplane was "high and fast" and touched down at the midpoint of the 3,000-foot runway, then overran the departure end. Examination of the engine, ignition and the fuel system revealed no mechanical deficiencies. Disassembly of the carburetor by an FAA inspector revealed a stuck float needle in its seat, that was freed during disassembly. No other discrepancies with the carburetor were found.
Factual narrative
The experimental homebuilt airplane was in cruise flight at 7,500 feet when the engine lost power. The pilot navigated toward the nearest airport by GPS, which was 16 miles away. The pilot found he could restore partial power by continuously pumping the primer handle. Upon reaching the airport, the engine stopped producing power when the pilot reached for the flap handle. The airplane was "high and fast" and touched down at the midpoint of the 3,000-foot runway, then overran the departure end. Examination of the engine, ignition and the fuel system revealed no mechanical deficiencies. Disassembly of the carburetor by an FAA inspector revealed a stuck float needle in its seat, that was freed during disassembly. No other discrepancies with the carburetor were found.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N722W
- Reported as
- Weber Glastar
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 5207
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Edward J. Weber
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- SPA · Spartanburg, SC
- Destination
- 8G6 · Cadiz, 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
- 63
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 700 total · 44 in this make and model · 46 in the last 90 days · 37 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.