Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Wilderness Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Sparta, Michigan 49345
Sunday, August 18, 1991 19:46 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE SINGLE ENGINE HOMEBUILT AIRPLANE SAT OUTSIDE DURING A HEAVY RAINSTORM ACCORDING TO A WITNESS. THE STORM PASSED BY AND THE PILOT DECIDED TO FLY THE AIRPLANE. A WITNESS STATED HE OBSERVED THE PILOT SIT IN THE AIRPLANE RUNNING THE ENGINE FOR APPROXIMATELY FIVE MINUTES BEFORE TAKEOFF. DURING CLIMBOUT THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE CEASED OPERATING AT APPROXIMATELY 150 TO 200 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. STATEMENT FROM WITNESSES CONFLICT WITH EACH OTHER. TWO STATED THE ENGINE GRADUALLY LOST POWER, ONE STATED THE ENGINE STOPPED AFTER SOUNDING LIKE IT HAD A FOULED SPARKPLUG. THE PILOT STATED THE ENGINE FAILURE WAS DUE TO WATER IN THE FUEL TANK. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED A TURN BACK TO THE AIRPORT DUE TO OBSTRUCTIONS WHICH WERE IN HIS EMERGENCY LANDING DESCENT PATH. THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED TO STALL AND SPIN UNTIL COLLIDING WITH THE GROUND. AN ON SCENE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT NO FUEL EXISTED IN THE AIRPLANES FUEL TANK OR CARBURETOR FLOAT BOWL.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
AN IMPROPER PREFLIGHT INSPECTION BY THE PILOT. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THIS ACCIDENT WERE INADEQUATE ALTITUDE FOR THE TURN BACK TOWARDS THE RUNWAY AND THE STALL/SPIN ENCOUNTERED BY THE PILOT.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/18/1991 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1946 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | SPARTA |
| Event State | MICHIGAN |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 49345 |
| Event Date Year | 1991 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | WILDERNESS |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | NONE |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | 780 |
| 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 | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Unknown |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -- |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | FAA |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 899 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | 0 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 45166 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 12 2000 10:38AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N52KP |
| NTSB Number | CHI91DEM08 |
| 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 | FISHER |
| Aircraft Model | FT101 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | FT101 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | KP-1 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 585 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jan 2 2000 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | KENETH PORRITT |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 3606 68TH ST. |
| Aircraft Owner City | CALEDONIA |
| Aircraft Owner State | MI |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 49316 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | KENETH PORRITT |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 3606 68TH ST. |
| Operator City | CALEDONIA |
| Operator State | MI |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 49316 |
| 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 | |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1946 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| 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 10:35AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 9 |
| Runway Length | 2615 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |