- Date
- June 13, 1982, 12:40 local (16:40 UTC)
- Place
- Cambria, NY
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N64BTNa 64
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 13, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820613021939A
- Case key
- 70108
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 after he made a photo fly-by, he began to climb. At about 400 ft AGL, the engine failed and he began a forced landing. During the approach, the tail wheel caught on two electrical wires and the aircraft pancaked onto a paved road, then slid into a plowed field. A live wire was wrapped around the tail wheel. During impact, the fuel tanks ruptured, and reportedly, the live wire ignited the fuel. An engine teardown revealed that the impeller had failed. The fore and aft ball bearings that support the impeller were burnt and deteriorated. The balls were flattened and found loose from the races. The impeller blades were damaged and there was evidence that the impeller face had milled and gouged the diffuser section.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N64BT
- Reported as
- Na 64
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 64-2159
- Airframe hours
- 13
- Engine
- Wright R-975, 450 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- Don S. Clark
- Registered owner
- Don S. Clark
- Departed
- 9G0 · Buffalo, NY
- Destination
- NK25 · Lockport, NY
- Airport
- NK15 · Smith'S Cambria
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
- 57
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 2,025 total · 13 in this make and model · 25 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Temperature
- 158 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.