Pilot Debrief

LUSCOMBE 8A near Mount Dora, FL — 2015-07-11

Final reportERA15LA265
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Date
2015-07-11
Location
Mount Dora, FL, USA
Airport
X55
Aircraft
LUSCOMBE 8A
Registration
N28864
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Initial climb

Probable cause

Excessive particulate contamination in the fuel tank, which resulted in the interruption of the fuel flow to the engine and a partial loss of power. The source of the contamination could not be determined based on the available information.

NTSB narrative

The flight instructor reported that, during the initial climb for the local, instructional flight with the student pilot/owner at the controls, the engine began to lose power. The flight instructor assumed the controls and attempted a forced landing on a road in a residential area. During the forced landing, the left wing struck a tree, and the airplane then came to rest upright, which resulted in structural damage to the airframe. During postaccident examination, dark, granular sediment was found inside the fuel tank, and it was of sufficient quantity to interrupt fuel flow to the engine. The airplane had been stored outside; it could not be determined how, or when, the granular contamination was introduced into the fuel tank. An examination of the engine and fuel system revealed evidence of some leakage around the carburetor, and the cylinders around the exhaust valves showed signatures consistent with operation at high exhaust gas temperatures. Examination of the fuel tank revealed that it contained automotive gasoline (auto gas). The student pilot believed that the use of auto gas was permitted; however, no supplemental type certificate (STC) for the use of auto gas existed, and the airplane was not placarded for auto gas use. The auto gas also might have contained ethanol, which was not permitted with or without an STC for auto gas use.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Fuel management
First missed decision gate
Using auto gas without proper STC for the aircraft.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 12 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents12

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