ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 293519
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| Date: | Friday 1 July 2005 |
| Time: | 10:40 LT |
| Type: |  Piper PA-28-180 |
| Owner/operator: | Graphic Tolls Inc. |
| Registration: | N3992R |
| MSN: | 28-7105096 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1971 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 3400 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming O-360-A4A |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | West Carrollton, Ohio -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Unknown |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Gainesville-Lee Gilmer Memorial Airport, GA (GVL/KGVL) |
| Dayton, OH (I73) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot flew to the airport 2 days prior to the accident, and parked the airplane. On the day of the accident the airplane was fueled with 33.1 gallons fuel, and the pilot conducted a "thorough" preflight inspection, which included taking fuel samples from the sump drains. Upon takeoff from runway 26, the pilot smelled smoke, but elected to not abort the takeoff due to insufficient remaining runway. The airplane climbed to an altitude of 500 feet, when the pilot felt that "things just weren't right," and he elected to return to the airport. As he banked the airplane to the left, the engine suddenly lost power. The pilot then performed a forced landing, where the airplane struck trees, and subsequently impacted the ground. Prior to the accident, a witness observed the pilot conduct a high-speed taxi down the runway, exiting the runway at the midfield point, and begin to taxi towards the run-up area. Approximately 5 minutes later, the witness heard the airplane's engine sputter as it passed mid-field. The airplane was already airborne, and it seemed like it was having trouble climbing over the river levy, located at the departure end of the runway. Examination of the airplane revealed that the left and right wing fuel filler openings displayed "heavy" corrosion. Their respective filler cap gaskets were worn and flattened, and did not form an effective seal. The engine was removed from the airframe and placed on a test stand. The engine was started, and ran with no abnormalities noted. A fuel sample device was found in the wreckage. Examination of the fuel sample device revealed loose sediment and debris in the bottom of the cup, and it smelled of must, which was consistent with lack of recent use. Review of recorded weather that about .35 inches of rain fell on the day prior to the accident, while the airplane was parked outside.
Probable Cause: The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection that resulted in fuel contamination and a subsequent loss of engine power. A factor related to the accident was the deteriorated fuel cap seals.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB NYC05LA111
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 10-Oct-2022 07:08 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
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