- Date
- May 14, 2005, 14:45 local (21:45 UTC)
- Place
- Creswell, OR
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N81PUHorvath Pitts S-1C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 28, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20050514007629A
- Case key
- 61489
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
Loss of engine power as a result of a carburetor float drop restriction during cruise flight. Tall grass in the landing area was a factor in the accident.
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 approximately 15 minutes after takeoff, while in straight and level flight at 4,000 feet MSL, the engine began to run rough and eventually lost power. After experiencing the loss of engine power, the pilot initiated a landing to a nearby open field. During the landing roll out, the airplane encountered tall grass and nosed over resulting in substantial damage. The pilot reported that post accident examination of the airplane's engine revealed that the brass carburetor float travel (total drop travel) was approximately 3/16 of an inch, 5/16 of an inch less than specified for normal operations. The carburetor float level is a means of regulating the amount of total fuel delivered to the engine via the metering jet.
Factual narrative
On May 14, 2005, about 1445 Pacific daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Horvath Pitts S-1C, N81PU, sustained substantial damage following an in-flight loss of engine power and subsequent off airport forced landing near Creswell, Oregon. The airplane is registered to the pilot and was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) local flight under the provisions of Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The private pilot, the sole occupant of the airplane, was not injured. The flight originated from Creswell (77S) approximately 15 minutes prior to the accident.
The pilot reported that approximately 15 minutes after takeoff, while in straight and level flight at 4,000 feet MSL, the engine began to run rough and eventually quit.
After experiencing the loss of engine power, the pilot initiated a landing to a nearby open field. During the landing roll out, the airplane encountered tall grass and nosed over resulting in substantial damage.
The airplane was issued an experimental amateur-built airworthiness certificate on April 19, 2005, and was on its sixth hour of phase one flight-testing (per FAA Order 8130.2F) when the accident occurred.
The pilot reported that post accident examination of the airplane's engine revealed that the brass carburetor float travel (total drop travel) was approximately 3/16 of an inch, 5/16 of an inch less than specified for normal operations.
The carburetor float level is a means of regulating the amount of total fuel delivered to the engine via the metering jet.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N81PU
- Reported as
- Horvath Pitts S-1C
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 01
- Airframe hours
- 6
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235, 108 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Anthony P. Horvath
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 1, 2005 · 5 hours before
- Departed
- 77S · Creswell, OR
- Airport
- 77S · Hobby Field, runway 33, 3,101 × 60 ft, asphalt
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
- 23
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 1, 2003
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 98 total · 4 in this make and model · 49 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 40° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.96 inHg
- Observed at
- KEUG, 9 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.