Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Rusk, Texas 75785
Saturday, July 31, 1993 16:03 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE DEPART ON WHAT ONE CHARACTERIZED AS A SHORT FIELD MAX ANGLE CLIMB TAKEOFF FOR A LOCAL FLIGHT. WHILE CLIMBING THROUGH ABOUT 200 FEET AGL, THE PILOT RADIOED ON UNICOM THAT HE WAS RETURNING TO THE AIRPORT, BUT DID NOT SAY WHY. THE WITNESSES THEN SAW THE AIRPLANE ENTER A RIGHT BANK AND NOSE DOWN. THE PASSENGER STATED THAT THE ENGINE LOST POWER AND THAT THE PILOT SWITCHED TANKS AND ATTEMPTED A RESTART WITHOUT SUCCESS AND THAT THE PILOT 'STALLED IT' IN THE TURN WHILE ATTEMPTING TO RETURN TO THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT HAD NO MEMORY OF THE FLIGHT. FUEL CALCULATIONS INDICATED THAT THE MAIN TANK WAS EMPTY AND THE AUXILIARY WAS FULL OR CLOSE TO FULL. NO EVIDENCE OF PRE-IMPACT FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND IN EITHER THE AIRFRAME OR THE ENGINE. THE AIRPLANE HAD NOT BEEN REFUELED FOLLOWING A RECENT 3 HOUR CROSS COUNTRY.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO SELECT THE PROPER FUEL TANK WHICH RESULTED IN A FUEL STARVATION ENGINE POWER LOSS AND HIS INADVERTANT ENTRY INTO A STALL DURING THE ENSUING FORCED LANDING.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 7/31/1993
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1603
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City RUSK
Event State TEXAS
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 75785
Event Date Year 1993
Event Date Month 7
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 --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Witness
Time of the weather observation 0
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation
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) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 38
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 180
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 5
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
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 --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious 2
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1073
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jul 31 1993 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1715
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 18 2002 11:28AM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\GIUV
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N16LA
NTSB Number FTW93FA222
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name HARRAL
Aircraft Model GLASAIR 1
Aircraft Series Identifier GLASAIR 1
Aircraft Serial Number 203
Certified Max Gross Weight 1700
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? Yes
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 2
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Continuous Airworthiness
Date of Last Inspection Jan 26 1993 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 81
Airframe Hours 627
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name SIERRA-GOLF ENTERPRISES
Aircraft Owner Street Address P. O. BOX 748
Aircraft Owner City BLAIRSTOWN
Aircraft Owner State NJ
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 07825
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
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) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code JSO
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1602
Departure Time Zone CDT
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code JSO
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
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 --