Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Chestnut Knolls Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
London, Kentucky 40741
Sunday, November 14, 2004 12:40 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The airplane was equipped with two semi opaque 5-gallon fuel tanks that simultaneously fed into the engine. The airplane was not equipped with a fuel strainer. Prior to the accident flight, 1 gallon of automobile gasoline was added to each tank, which brought the total amount of fuel on board to approximately 8 gallons. The pilot completed a preflight inspection of the airplane, and departed the airport. After two takeoffs and landings at the airport, the pilot boarded a passenger, and completed another takeoff and landing. While in the traffic pattern for another landing, the engine lost all power. The pilot attempted to glide to the runway, but the airplane impacted up-sloping terrain about 2-3 feet prior to the runway. Examination of the wreckage revealed contamination in the fuel tanks, fuel lines, fuel filter, and carburetor bowls. The engine was subsequently test run with a clean fuel supply, and it ran continuously with no abnormalities noted.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel contamination. A factor was the lack of an installed fuel strainer.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/14/2004 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1240 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | London |
| Event State | KENTUCKY |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 40741 |
| Event Date Year | 2004 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 370904N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0841527W |
| Event Location Airport | Chestnut Knolls Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 3KY2 |
| 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 | 1265 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1253 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 90 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | LOZ |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1212 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 8 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| 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) | 13 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 1 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 50 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.64 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 18041 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Southern Region Ops Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Nov 16 2004 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1200 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 7 2005 10:33AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Louisville, KY |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N83NK |
| NTSB Number | NYC05LA017 |
| 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 | Labhart |
| Aircraft Model | Kolb Twinstar Mk III |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | M3X-04-1-00052 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1000 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | -- |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Lightning Strike Leasing Llc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | London |
| Aircraft Owner State | KY |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 40741 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Norman J. Labhart |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | East Bernstadt |
| Operator State | KY |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 40729 |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | 3KY2 |
| Departure City | London |
| Departure State | KY |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1235 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| 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 | Approach - VFR pattern - downwind |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 2 2005 11:23AM |
| User who most recently changed record | PEAR |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 26 |
| Runway Length | 2150 |
| Runway Width | 70 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |