Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Hudson, Michigan 49247
Tuesady, June 26, 2001 20:15 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot said he was cruising at 9,500 feel mean sea level on a direct course from Rochester, Wisconsin, to Kent State, Ohio. Approximately 2 hours into the flight the engine sputtered and quit. The pilot said he attempted to restart the engine but was unsuccessful. The pilot said, "[I] Asked Toledo Approach for a vector to the nearest airport. [I] Tried to make Adrian (Lenawee County Airport, Adrian, Michigan), but could not." The pilot said he selected a green field and proceeded with a "dead stick landing". The pilot said, "On roll out [I] noticed [a] drainage ditch and tried to maneuver to avoid it, but [the] RT gear went over the edge and [the] plane came to [an] abrupt stop." An examination of the airplane's fuel tanks showed right fuel tank empty and the left fuel tank full of fuel. The screens in the two fuel pick-up ports in the left fuel tank were completely blocked with debris. No other anomalies with the airplane were found. Later examination of the fuel pick-up fittings and finger screens revealed the debris to be hardened mud and mulch similar to that found in nests made by wasps. The airplane underwent an annual inspection 6 days before the accident. The airplane was flown to American Champion, Rochester, Wisconsin, to have new wings installed 3 days before the accident. Annual inspection criteria calls for the finger strainers in the pick-up fittings to be pulled and inspected for screen damage and debris. At the factory, the fuel pick-up fittings were determined serviceable and re-installed in the new wings' fuel tanks. According to the owner/pilot, the airplane flew 8 hours between the annual inspection and the accident.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Unsuitable terrain for landing encountered by the pilot during the forced landing attempt. Factors relating to this accident were fuel starvation caused by foreign material blocking the fuel tank lines which led to the engine failure, annual inspection criteria not complied with, and the ditch.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/26/2001 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 2015 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | HUDSON |
| Event State | MICHIGAN |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 49247 |
| Event Date Year | 2001 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| 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 | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2052 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 132 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | TOL |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 684 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 27 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 6 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 23 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 17 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 80 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 3 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.28 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 1349 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 11023 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 28 2001 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1544 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 27 2001 11:26AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | DETROIT, MICHIGAN FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N86960 |
| NTSB Number | CHI01LA189 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Bellanca |
| Aircraft Model | 7KCAB |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 44674 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jun 20 2001 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 8 |
| Airframe Hours | 1353 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | KENNETH LUSTGARTEN |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O. BOX 188 |
| Aircraft Owner City | CONCORDVILLE |
| Aircraft Owner State | PA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 19331 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| 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? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Airport Code | 96C |
| Departure City | ROCHESTER |
| Departure State | WI |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1730 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | N57 |
| Destination City | TOUGHKENAMON |
| Destination State | PA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 1 2001 8:43AM |
| User who most recently changed record | SULP |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |