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| NTSB Identification: NYC00LA070. The docket is stored in the (offline) NTSB Imaging System. |
| Accident occurred Saturday, January 29, 2000 at WISCASSET, ME |
| Aircraft: Cessna 150, registration: N7854E |
| Injuries: 1 Uninjured |
| Event: 20001212X20428 Status: Final Report Approved On Wednesday, November 29, 2000 |
| NTSB Preliminary Narrative (6120.19A) |
| On January 29, 2000, at 1225 Eastern Standard Time, a Cessna 150, N7854E, was substantially damaged during a forced landing, just after |
| takeoff from Wiscasset Airport (IWI), Wiscasset, Maine. The certificated commercial pilot was not injured, and visual meteorological conditions |
| prevailed at the time. No flight plan had been filed for the local flight, which was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. |
| According to the pilot, he performed a preflight inspection per the owners manual. The fuel quantity was half full. The wing tank drains were |
| "frozen stuck," and the pilot decided not to force them open. The pilot drained about 6 ounces of fuel from the fuel strainer, and found "no visible |
| contaminants." He also noted that "the fuel vent next to the pitot tube appeared to be open." |
| The pilot started the airplane, taxied it to the runway, and performed a run up. After that, he back-taxied down Runway 25, and made a |
| right-crosswind takeoff. After takeoff, "climb was interrupted seconds into the flight by the engine dying. The altitude was about 125 [feet] agl. |
| I briefly pumped the throttle with no effect on the wind milling engine." |
| The pilot further stated: |
| "I then saw the big white snowy area at the end of Runway 25...and maneuvered with a right turn away from the runway and then a left turn |
| toward the...area. I was gliding the plane down.... With airspeed now getting low the plane would not quickly recover from the slip and touched |
| left wingtip first with the nose wheel collapsing second. The plane was yawing now to the left, the right wingtip dug into the snow decelerating |
| the plane rapidly and yawing it to the right." |
| The pilot reported that he then went to the hospital, and later that day, returned to the scene, and met with a Federal Aviation Administration |
| (FAA) Inspector. At that time, the Inspector confirmed there was fuel onboard the airplane. In addition, |
| "He...tried the wing drain. It was still frozen shut. He then found gasoline in both wing tanks and at the fuel strainer. He gave me permission to |
| move the plane and asked me to drain the gasoline through the fuel strainer to see if it would drain for more than 20 seconds. He also asked me |
| to drain the carburetor to see if there was any water in it. I agreed to do it first thing the next day and report the results to him." The pilot then |
| moved the airplane back to its tie down spot. |
| The pilot also noted that when he arrived back at the airplane on the day of the accident, there was fuel leaking out of the left wing fuel vent. "It |
| is my belief that the sun warmed the blocked tube allowing the fuel to leak out of the tank." |
| The following morning, with a witness present, the pilot drained over 10 gallons of fuel into containers "with no hesitation or water." Another |
| witness observed the pilot drain the carburetor float bowl of about 40 cc of fuel and 10 cc of water. |
| The pilot also provided the following: |
| "It is my belief that [the airplane] was exposed to three weeks of terrible weather, high winds, sleet, and blowing snow and very cold (sub zero) |
| temperatures. Some of this precipitation found its way into the fuel tanks vents and blocked them." |
| One of the preflight procedures in the pilot's operating handbook was: "Check fuel tank vent opening for stoppage." |
| NTSB Final Narrative (6120.4) |
| The airplane had been exposed to 3 weeks of high winds, sleet, blowing snow and sub-zero temperatures. During the preflight inspection, the |
| pilot found the fuel tanks were half full. The wing tank drains were 'frozen stuck,' so the pilot decided not to force them. He drained about 6 |
| ounces of fuel from the fuel strainer, and found 'no visible contaminants.' The fuel vent next to the pitot tube 'appeared to be open.' The pilot |
| started the airplane, taxied it to the runway, and performed an engine run-up. He then back-taxied down the runway, then took off. After |
| takeoff, about 125 feet agl, the engine lost all power, and the pilot made a forced landing. Several hours later, the left wing drain was still |
| frozen, but there was fuel coming out of the wing vent. The pilot thought the sun had warmed the vent, which then melted ice inside, and |
| allowed the fuel to leak out of the tank. The following morning, the pilot drained over 10 gallons of fuel into containers 'with no hesitation or |
| water.' The pilot then drained the carburetor float bowl of about 40 cc of fuel and 10 cc of water. Preflight inspection included: 'Check fuel tank |
| vent opening for stoppage.' |
| NTSB Probable Cause Narrative |
| The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection. |
| Occurrences and Sequence of Events |
| Occurrence: 1, MISCELLANEOUS/OTHER |
| Phase of Operation: STANDING - PRE-FLIGHT |
| Sequence of Events for Occurrence Number: 1 |
| 1 ( Cause ) PREFLIGHT PLANNING/PREPARATION / INADEQUATE / PILOT IN COMMAND |
| Occurrence: 2, LOSS OF ENGINE POWER(TOTAL) - NONMECHANICAL |
| Phase of Operation: TAKEOFF - INITIAL CLIMB |
| Sequence of Events for Occurrence Number: 2 |
| 1 (Finding) FUEL SYSTEM, VENT / BLOCKED (TOTAL) / (0) |
| Occurrence: 3, FORCED LANDING |
| Phase of Operation: EMERGENCY LANDING AFTER TAKEOFF |
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