- Date
- August 7, 1994, 14:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Ottawa, OH
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N2091Stulp Starduster SA 300
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 13, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940807020329A
- Case key
- 38818
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
inadequate maintenance which resulted in a corroded gascolator fuel screen restriction fuel flow and resulted in 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 climbed to 1500 feet after takeoff, when he noticed the fuel pressure decrease. The engine began to lose power. Although the engine did not lose total power, there was not enough power to maintain flight. The pilot elected to make a forced landing into a corn field. The FAA inspected the aircraft, finding the gascolator fuel screen was rust covered and the fuel downstream of the gascolator was 'cloudy and flow was restricted'.
Factual narrative
On August 7, 1994 about 1430 eastern daylight time, N2091, a Stulp, Starduster Too SA300 experimental airplane, lost engine power, and initiated a forced landing in Ottawa, Ohio. Visual meteorological conditions existed. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. The departure point was Putnum County Airport in Ottawa. The local flight was operated under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the FAA, the pilot was at 1000 feet AGL when he noticed the fuel pressure began to decrease and the engine began to lose power. Although the engine did not lose total power, there was not enough power to maintain flight.
The pilot stated "Lost fuel pressure then RPM's, set up for an emergency landing. I headed into the wind west to land. I saw what looked like a good place to set down but I was dropping to fast in over a river. I was worried about power lines, I had a little power in the engine, so I picked a second (landing) spot. (The aircraft) started losing power, and air speed so had to take the cornfield before the airplane would stall out." The aircraft came to rest nosedown in a cornfield.
The FAA examined the airplane and revealed the gascolator fuel screen was rust corroded and the fuel downstream of the gascolator was "cloudy" and the flow was restricted.
According to the pilot the accident could have been prevented by not using fuel from a dirty, unfiltered personal fuel tank.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2091
- Reported as
- Stulp Starduster SA 300 (STARDUSTER)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 19-1
- Airframe hours
- 1,246
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Randy Lee Moore
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 14, 1994 · 1,246 hours before
- Departed
- OWX · Ottawa, OH
- Destination
- Charlo, 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
- 37
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 725 total · 300 in this make and model · 680 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TOL
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.