Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Chalet Suzanne Air Strip Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Lake Wales, Florida 33859
Saturday, May 21, 2005 14:00 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot stated while in flight about 6,500 feet, near his departure airport, as he was maneuvering he smelled fuel, and felt a spray of fuel on his leg. He immediately dove the airplane and landed uneventfully. After taxiing to parking, and upon securing the engine, the airplane suddenly became engulfed with flames. Postcrash examination of the airplane revealed that a fuel line had become loose and had detached from the fuel servo fitting while inflight. According to the pilot, post-crash examination of the airplane revealed that a fuel line that had become loose and had detached from the fuel servo fitting while inflight. He said that while the propeller was turning, the slipstream kept the fuel away from the exhaust piping, however, once the engine was secured, the fuel leaked on to the exhaust piping and a fire had erupted. The pilot said that the airplane's logbook showed that it had last received an inspection, and had been returned to service on January 20, 2005. He also said purchased the airplane on May 17, 2005, and had only flown it for about 3 or 4 hours.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Improper maintenance inspection by other maintenance personnel, which resulted in a loose fuel line fitting going undetected, a fuel leak onto exhaust piping, and a fire.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/21/2005 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1400 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Lake Wales |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 33859 |
| Event Date Year | 2005 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 275308N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0813603W |
| Event Location Airport | Chalet Suzanne Air Strip |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | X25 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 130 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1753 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 290 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KLAL |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 122 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 21 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 4000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 12 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 30 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 13 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 260 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.81 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| 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) | 18329 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Pilot/Owner |
| NTSB Notification Date | May 23 2005 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 13 2005 12:54PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Orlando |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N5WD |
| NTSB Number | MIA05LA106 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Pitts |
| Aircraft Model | S1S |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 105D |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1450 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| 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 | Jan 1 2005 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 64 |
| Airframe Hours | 59 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Eric C. Hinshaw |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1443 S. Lake Roy Dr. |
| Aircraft Owner City | Winter Haven |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 33884 |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | X25 |
| Departure City | Lake Wales |
| Departure State | FL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1315 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | X25 |
| Destination City | -- |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | -- |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Standing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 9 2008 10:30AM |
| User who most recently changed record | JOHB |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 18 |
| Runway Length | 2313 |
| Runway Width | 50 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |