Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Putnam, Connecticut 06260
Sunday, March 7, 1993 16:30 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF AT AN ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 50 FT, THE ENGINE LOST POWER. DURING AN EMERGENCY LANDING, THE AIRPLANE CLIPPED SOME TREES, TOUCHED DOWN IN A FIELD, AND SLID UNTIL IT IMPACTED A ROW OF TREES. AN ON SCENE INVESTIGATION REVEALED ABOUT ONE QUART OF WATER IN THE FUEL SYSTEM. EXAMINATION OF THE FUEL TANK FILLER NECKS REVEALED CORROSION. THE RIGHT TANK FUEL FILLER NECK ALSO HAD PITTING. WHEN TESTED, THE RIGHT FUEL CAP AND SEAL AREA ALLOWED LEAKAGE OF AN UNDETERMINABLE AMOUNT OF WATER. EXAMINATION OF THE FUEL TANK BLADDERS REVEALED WRINKLES. THE AIRPLANE'S MAINTENANCE RECORDS INDICATED THAT AD 84-10-01 AND AD 83-13-01, REGARDING INSPECTION OF THE FUEL FILLER NECK AND SEAL AREA AND THE FUEL TANKS, WERE NOT PERFORMED DURING THE LAST INSPECTION. THE AIRPLANE WAS KEPT OUTSIDE AND IT HAD NOT BEEN FLOWN FOR SEVERAL DAYS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. SNOW HAD FALLEN ON THE PREVIOUS DAY. THE PILOT SAID HE DID A THOROUGH PREFLIGHT, WHICH INCLUDED DRAINING THE FUEL TANKS AND CHECKING FOR CONTAMINATION, BUT NO CONTAMINATION WAS EVIDENT.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

INADEQUATE COMPLIANCE WITH APPLICABLE AIR WORTHINESS DIRECTIVES, LEAKY FUEL CAP SEAL, WATER CONTAMINATION OF THE FUEL, AND WRINKLES IN THE FUEL TANK BLADDERS THAT INTERFERED WITH THE ABILITY TO DRAIN WATER FROM THE TANKS.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 3/7/1993
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1630
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City PUTNAM
Event State CONNECTICUT
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 06260
Event Date Year 1993
Event Date Month 3
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1550 Eastern Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 260
Weather Observation Facility ID BDL
Elevation of weather observation facility 174
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 34
Time Zone of the weather observation EST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 25
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 8
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -9
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 250
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 9
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Serious
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor 1
Injury Total None 3
Injury Total Serious 1
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 206
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Mar 7 1993 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1735
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 50834
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 1:11PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N3035F
NTSB Number BFO93LA044
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model 182J
Aircraft Series Identifier 182J
Aircraft Serial Number 18257135
Certified Max Gross Weight 2800
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 5
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Sep 19 1992 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 30
Airframe Hours 2637
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name PARA POWER INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 316 ROCKY HILL ROAD
Aircraft Owner City NORTH SCITUATE
Aircraft Owner State RI
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 02857
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name PARA POWER INC.
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address 316 ROCKY HILL ROAD
Operator City NORTH SCITUATE
Operator State RI
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 02857
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Other Work Use
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code 01B
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1630
Departure Time Zone EST
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code 01B
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Landing
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:34AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --