Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Covington, Tennessee 38019
Thursday, September 15, 1988 13:00 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PLT REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE SUDDENLY BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH AND BACKFIRE DURING A PIPELINE PATROL FLIGHT AT 300 FT AGL. THE ROUGHNESS WORSENED AND THE PLT MADE A FORCED LDG ON A DIRT ROAD. DURING ROLLOUT, ONE OF THE WINGS CAUGHT VEGETATION BORDERING THE ROAD AND THE AIRPLANE VEERED OFF THE ROAD INTO A DITCH. EXAM OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THAT IT WAS SUPPLEMENTAL TYPE CERTIFICATED FOR THE USE OF AUTOMOTIVE GASOLINE, AND THAT IT WAS FUELED WITH AUTO GAS. EXAM OF THE LYC 0-290-D2 ENGINE REVEALED THAT THE #4 EXHAUST VALVE WAS STUCK OPEN, AND HEAVY CARBON DEPOSITS WERE PRESENT ON THE VALVE. THE VALVES IN THE #3 CYL WERE FOUND TO BE BURNED. LYCOMING DOES NOT RECOMMEND THE USE OF AUTO GAS IN LYCOMING ACFT ENGINES. SERVICE LETTER L199 NOTES THAT GUMS CAN FORM IN AUTO FUELS WHICH CAN CAUSE STICKING VALVES. FAA AC 91.33A CONTAINS SEVERAL CAUTIONS ON THE USE OF THE AUTO FUEL CONCERNING QUALITY CONTROL, GUM FORMATION, VOLATILITY & CARB ICING.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/15/1988 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1300 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | COVINGTON |
| Event State | TENNESSEE |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 38019 |
| Event Date Year | 1988 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| 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 | Pilot |
| 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) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 25 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 29 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 90 |
| 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 | Minor |
| 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 | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 2040 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 15 1988 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1642 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 38412 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 12:08PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N2833M |
| NTSB Number | ATL88LA252 |
| 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 | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-12 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-12 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 12-1270 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1750 |
| 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 | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Sep 10 1988 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 5 |
| Airframe Hours | 6568 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Yes |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | NORTHEAST PATROL, INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | RT 2 BOX 697 |
| Aircraft Owner City | GREENVILLE |
| Aircraft Owner State | MS |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 38701 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | NE PATROL, INC. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | ROUTE 2, BOX 697 |
| Operator City | GREENVILLE |
| Operator State | MS |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 38701 |
| 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) | Aerial Observation |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | NONE |
| Departure City | GREENVILLE |
| Departure State | MS |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 820 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | M04 |
| Destination City | COVINGTON |
| Destination State | TN |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing |
| 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 | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |