ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 355294
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| Date: | Saturday 6 September 1997 |
| Time: | 09:30 LT |
| Type: |  Van's RV-6 |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N93SJ |
| MSN: | 20052 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 123 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming O-360-A2B |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Woodlake, CA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | (O42) |
| Selma, CA (0Q4) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The aircraft's engine lost power soon after takeoff, and an off-airport landing was made 3 miles from the departure airport. During the landing, the airplane hit a fence, then came to rest at a ditch. The pilot, who had recently purchased the airplane, said that after takeoff, he had switched fuel tanks, and then the engine stopped. He said that at departure, one fuel tank was about 1/2 full and the other was about 1/4 full, totaling 21 gallons. An FAA inspector examined the aircraft about 4 hours after the accident. He found no fuel in the left tank of the aircraft, only minimal fuel in the right tank, and no evidence of tank rupture or smell of fuel on the ground. The fuel selector was in the left tank position. The pilot reported he was 'certain' there was fuel in the aircraft, and suspected the engine stoppage was due to a blocked fuel vent or a vapor lock in the fuel supply. A carburetor icing chart showed that conditions were conducive for moderate carburetor icing at cruise power.
Probable Cause: failure of the pilot to accurately determine the quantity of fuel onboard the airplane before flight, and subsequent loss of engine power due to fuel starvation, which resulted in a forced landing.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB LAX97LA314
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 19 October 1994 | N93SJ | Stan & Joyce Hallam | 0 | Bridgeport, CA | |
sub |
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 12-Mar-2024 10:22 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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