ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 131933
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| Date: | Sunday 11 July 1993 |
| Time: | 18:42 LT |
| Type: | Holmes SPECIAL |
| Owner/operator: | Stephen L. Smith |
| Registration: | N485MH |
| MSN: | 3 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 150 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming IO-360-A1D |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Chavies, KY -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Duff Field, KY |
| Hazard, KY (K20) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
AFTER TAKEOFF, THE PILOT MADE A RIGHT TURN INTO A HOLLOW BETWEEN RISING TERRAIN. HE REALIZED THAT THE AIRPLANE COULD NOT ATTAIN A CLIMB RATE NEEDED TO CLEAR THE TERRAIN, SO HE MADE A STEEP TURN. DURING THE TURN, THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE LOST PARTIAL POWER. DURING A FORCED LANDING, THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED A CREEK BANK AND WAS DAMAGED. THE PILOT STATED THAT THERE WAS ABOUT 6 GALLONS OF FUEL ON BOARD FOR THE FIVE MILE FLIGHT. THE FUEL CAPACITY OF THE AIRPLANE WAS 23 GALLONS. POST ACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE AIRFRAME AND ENGINE DID NOT REVEAL ANY ANOMALIES. THE FUEL TANK WAS RUPTURED AND EMPTY. THE FUEL LINE FROM THE FUEL PUMP TO THE INJECTION SERVO CONTAINED THREE TO FOUR DROPS OF FUEL. THE FUEL LINE FROM THE SERVO TO THE FLOW DIVIDER CONTAINED ENOUGH FUEL TO FILL HALF OF THE LINE. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS MODELED VERY CLOSELY AFTER A 2 SEAT PITTS SPECIAL, WHICH WAS PLACARDED TO RESTRICT TAKEOFFS WITH LESS THAN 1/4 TANK OF FUEL DUE TO POSSIBLE FUEL STARVATION INDUCED BY ATTITUDE.
Probable Cause: FUEL STARVATION DUE TO THE PILOT'S IMPROPER DECISION TO TAKE OFF WITH A LOW FUEL LEVEL. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE LOW FUEL LEVEL, THE PILOT'S LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE FUEL SYSTEM, AND THE UNEVEN TERRAIN IN THE EMERGENCY LANDING AREA.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB BFO93LA117
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 21-Dec-2016 19:25 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 10-Apr-2024 12:42 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Other fatalities, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Plane category, Category, Accident report] |
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