- Date
- August 30, 1992, 13:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Cumberland, MD
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N103WKWilliam C. Keiling Prober Pixie
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 31, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920830033929A
- Case key
- 37226
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
An inadvertent stall/spin, following a power loss due to fuel contamination. Factors related to the accident were the failure of the pilot to detect the rust particles and water in the fuel system prior to takeoff and his lack of total experience in the airplane.
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 said he preflighted the airplane and made several ground runs and power checks prior to takeoff. During takeoff as the airplane crossed the departure end of the runway, the engine lost power. The pilot turned to avoid a tree line and the airplane stalled. The airplane then entered a spin and struck the ground. Post accident examination by the FAA found rust particles and water in the fuel tank, fuel filter bowl, and inlet finger screen going into the carburetor.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N103WK
- Reported as
- William C. Keiling Prober Pixie (PROBER PIX)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 10003
- Airframe hours
- 13
- Engine
- Hapi 60E, 60 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- William C. Holbrook
- Registered owner
- William C. Holbrook
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 1, 1990 · 7 hours before
- Airport
- 1W3 · Mexico Farms, runway 1, 2,100 × 90 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
- 71
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Multi-engine sea, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 25,097 total · 7 in this make and model · 8 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.