ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 21710
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Thursday 10 July 2008 |
| Time: | 14:43 |
| Type: |  Piper PA-18A-150 Super Cub |
| Owner/operator: | Van Wagner Aerial Media |
| Registration: | N7471D |
| MSN: | 18-5806 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1957 |
| Engine model: | Lycoming O-320 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | in a field next to Highway 101, CA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Banner and glider towing |
| Departure airport: | Camarillo, CA (CMA) |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot stated that he was descending on a 5-mile final approach for the runway when the airplane experienced a total loss of engine power. He said that there were no abnormal indications on the engine gauges, and he believed he had exhausted all useable fuel in the two right wing fuel tanks. He immediately switched the fuel selector to the left wing tank. The engine did not regain power, so the pilot verified that the magneto switches were on. According to the pilot, there is no electric starter installed on the engine. The airplane continued to descend, and about 500 feet above the ground, the propeller stopped rotating. The pilot released the banner he was towing, and he made a forced landing in a rough field. The airplane nosed over during the landing rollout, and the left wing's structure was damaged. The pilot reported that the airplane was equipped with three fuel tanks, two in the right wing and one in the left wing. Each tank holds 18 gallons of fuel, for a total of 54 gallons that provides about a 6-hour endurance. During banner tow operations the fuel burn off rate is about 8 gallons per hour. All fuel tanks were filled to capacity prior to the pilot's 1040 takeoff. The airplane had been airborne about 4 hours when the loss of power occurred.
Probable Cause: The pilot's inadequate fuel management, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 30 March 2001 | N7471D | Private | 0 | Niceville, FL | |
w/o |
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 12-Jul-2008 00:00 | Fusko | Added |
| 12-Jul-2008 02:19 | harro | Updated |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:14 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:16 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:20 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 03-Dec-2017 11:25 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Other fatalities, Nature, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation