ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 44387
This record has been locked for editing.
| Date: | Sunday 7 August 2005 |
| Time: | 09:00 |
| Type: |  Van's RV-8 |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N5754S |
| MSN: | 81259 |
| Engine model: | Lycoming O-360-A1A |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Fort Collins, CO -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Fort Collins, CO (FNL) |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The airplane departed runway 33. During the initial climb out, the airplane made a steep roll to the left, pitched down, descended and impacted terrain. A witness said he saw the airplane "in a high left bank like it was trying to land on runway 15. Suddenly, the plane made an abrupt (steep) descent (approximately 45 degrees) nose down. About 50 feet above the ground, it seemed the pilot tried to level off. The plane impacted the ground at a lower angle of attack (I would say 15-20 degrees). An FAA inspector, who was at the airport but did not witness the accident, immediately responded to the accident site. He said he found the fuel selector valve on the left tank and the left fuel tank was empty. The right fuel tank contained approximately "one inch" of fuel. One blade of the propeller was bent under the engine cowling, and the other was slightly damaged. The engine had been extensively modified. Disassembly revealed continuity and compression of all cylinders. The left magneto produced spark when turned. In place of a right magneto, the airplane was equipped with an automotive electronic ignition. All eight spark plugs were of the automotive-type. There was no fuel in the engine-driven fuel pump, electrically-driven fuel pump, or fuel injectors. The engine data recorder was sent to the manufacturer. Data downloaded was found to be corrupt and meaningless.
Probable Cause: the pilot inadvertently stalling the airplane and descending into the ground. Contributing factors were the pilot's inadequate preflight planning/preparation and his failure to refuel the airplane, resulting in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20050816X01250&key=1
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 28-Oct-2008 00:45 | ASN archive | Added |
| 18-Nov-2016 09:11 | junior sjc | Updated [Operator, Nature, Narrative] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:24 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 06-Dec-2017 10:51 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Nature, Source, Narrative] |
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