Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Amelia Earhart Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Lancaster, Kansas 66041
Sunday, April 24, 2005 10:45 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The airplane was substantially damaged when it struck a tree limb and fence during a forced landing following a loss of engine power. The pilot reported that the engine lost power about 8 minutes after takeoff during cruise flight. He executed a forced landing on a road, subsequently impacting an overhanging tree limb and a barbed wire fence. Approximately 2 ounces of fuel were obtained from the fuel tank during the post-accident inspection. The fuel filler cap was removed and no fuel was observed in the tank. Fuel was subsequently added to the airplane. The engine was started and ran at full throttle and various intermediate power settings. A magneto check was performed and was normal. After the engine ran the fuel tank sump drain was observed to be dripping fuel at an estimated rate of 1 quart per hour. The drain valve was reseated and the dripping stopped.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of a fuel leak. Contributing factors were the pilot's inadequate preflight/planning preparation and the unsuitable terrain encountered, the tree and the fence.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/24/2005 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1045 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Lancaster |
| Event State | KANSAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 66041 |
| Event Date Year | 2005 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 393400N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0951800W |
| Event Location Airport | Amelia Earhart |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | K59 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 5 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 270 |
| Airport Elevation | 1073 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | -- |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | -- |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | -- |
| 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) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 270 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 15 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| 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) | 17914 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 24 2005 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1254 |
| 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 | FAA-Wichita FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N37395 |
| NTSB Number | CHI05CA108 |
| 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 | Interstate |
| Aircraft Model | S-1A-90F |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 238 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1300 |
| 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 | Jul 2 2004 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 6 |
| Airframe Hours | 200 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Leon A. Torkelson |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Horton |
| Aircraft Owner State | KS |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 66439 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| 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 | PVT |
| Departure City | Horton |
| Departure State | KS |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1035 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | K59 |
| Destination City | Atchison |
| Destination State | KS |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise - normal |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 9 2005 3:27PM |
| User who most recently changed record | DINC |
| 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 | -- |