Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Wiscasset Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Wiscasset, Maine 04578
Saturday, January 29, 2000 12:25 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
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.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 1/29/2000 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1225 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | WISCASSET |
| Event State | MAINE |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 04578 |
| Event Date Year | 2000 |
| Event Date Month | 1 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | WISCASSET AIRPORT |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | IWI |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 68 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1253 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | IWI |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 68 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| 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) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -3 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -18 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 20 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 16 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jan 29 2000 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2134 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 12 2000 1:25PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N7854E |
| NTSB Number | NYC00LA070 |
| 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 | 150 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 150 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 150-17654 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1500 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Sep 1 1999 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 19 |
| Airframe Hours | 5494 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | MAINE CHANNELS, INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 308 LOWELL TOWN ROAD |
| Aircraft Owner City | WISCASSET |
| Aircraft Owner State | ME |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 04578 |
| 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) | Other Work Use |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | IWI |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1225 |
| 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 | Standing |
| 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 | 25 |
| Runway Length | 3400 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |