Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Sandy Lake, Pennsylvania 16145
Wednesday, August 24, 2005 13:30 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The airplane experienced a total loss of engine power during cruise flight, and struck a tree during a forced landing. After the accident, the passenger reported the engine driven fuel pump failed. Review of a flight manual for the make and model airplane revealed that a fuel gauge was incorporated into the fuselage (header) fuel tank cap. Fuel flowed from the wing tanks, via the engine driven fuel pump, to the fuselage tank. Once in the fuselage tank, fuel was gravity fed into the engine. Further review of the manual revealed that in case of engine driven fuel pump failure, the engine would continue to function until the 6-gallon fuselage tank was drained. During an examination of the wreckage, the fuselage tank was observed to be empty, except for some residual fuel. The fuel was clear, consistent with 100LL aviation gasoline, and no contamination was observed. The engine driven fuel pump was removed from the engine for inspection. When the pump was actuated by hand, there was no movement or continuity to its mechanical linkage that connected into the engine. The inoperative pump was re-attached to the engine to prevent oil leakage, and 5 gallons of gasoline was added to the fuselage tank. The engine then started on the first attempt, without hesitation, and ran continuously at idle power and partial power.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A total failure of the engine driven fuel pump, and the pilot's failure to recognize a diminishing fuel supply in the fuselage (header) fuel tank, which resulted in a total loss of engine power during cruise flight and subsequent collision with trees during a forced landing.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/24/2005 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1330 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Sandy Lake |
| Event State | PENNSYLVANIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 16145 |
| Event Date Year | 2005 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 412053N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0800445W |
| 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 | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1335 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 90 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | FKL |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1540 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 10 |
| 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) | 22 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 8 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 110 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.25 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 20125 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Allegheny FSDO |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 24 2005 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 29 2006 3:49PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Allegheny, PA |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N99746 |
| NTSB Number | NYC05LA137 |
| 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 | Ercoupe |
| Aircraft Model | 415-D |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 2369 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1400 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| 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 | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Joseph F. Mazza Jr. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Penn Hills |
| Aircraft Owner State | PA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 15235 |
| 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 | FWQ |
| Departure City | Monongahela |
| Departure State | PA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1230 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | GKJ |
| Destination City | Meadville |
| Destination State | PA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Descent - emergency |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 24 2006 1:41PM |
| User who most recently changed record | MUZD |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |