Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Bealeton, Virginia 22712
Sunday, September 19, 2004 16:48 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot preflighted the airplane, noting there was approximately 12 gallons of fuel onboard. He then departed, and proceeded to a local "flying circus," which was about 5 minutes away. He did a few aerobatic maneuvers, and landed at the circus. The pilot flew in the opening and closing ceremonies before departing on the accident flight. He started the engine, noted approximately 5 gallons of fuel remaining, and then departed with the fuel selector set to "RESERVE." Once airborne and passing approximately 200 to 300 feet, the engine suddenly lost power. The pilot identified a golf course and maneuvered to land. The airplane touched down, encountered a pond, and nosed over. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the fuel lines to the fuel selector were reversed, making 3 gallons of normally useable fuel unusable. The pilot purchased the airplane in 1986, had it rebuilt, which was completed in 2000, and then flew it 100 to 150 hours without a problem. The accident flight was the first time the pilot had operated the airplane with less than 5 gallons of fuel onboard.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The improper installation of fuel lines by maintenance personnel resulting in a total loss of engine power.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/19/2004 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1648 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Bealeton |
| Event State | VIRGINIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 22712 |
| Event Date Year | 2004 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 383235N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0774254W |
| 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 | 1655 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 60 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | HEF |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 192 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 12 |
| 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) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 21 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 1 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 20 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 17 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.23 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 17814 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Dulles FSDO |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 19 2004 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2310 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 8 2005 12:51PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Dulles |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N57015 |
| NTSB Number | NYC04LA214 |
| 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 | Ryan |
| Aircraft Model | ST3KR |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 2042 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1845 |
| 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 3 2003 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 18.2 |
| Airframe Hours | 1871.6 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | NORBOB, Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Fairfax |
| Aircraft Owner State | VA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 22032 |
| 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 | 3VA3 |
| Departure City | Bealeton |
| Departure State | VA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1645 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | W66 |
| Destination City | Warrenton |
| Destination State | VA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Climb |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | -- |
| User who most recently changed record | -- |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |