Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Crystal Village Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Chipley, Florida 32428
Friday, June 19, 2009 18:41 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The student pilot/owner's airplane had not been operated for several months. On the day of the accident, he planned to fly the airplane in the traffic pattern at the airport where he based it. After the first takeoff, while on the downwind leg of the traffic pattern, the pilot noticed an engine rpm decrease, and he responded by checking the engine controls. After the control check, the pilot re-checked the tachometer, and noticed that the rpm continued to decrease. He was unable to maintain altitude, and set up for a forced landing in a clearing. The airplane struck vegetation prior to the clearing, and came to rest inverted. The airplane was approved to use automotive gasoline. The associated operating limitations prohibited the use of automotive gasoline that contained ethanol, due to its adverse effects on engine components and operation. The pilot was unaware of, and did not obtain, the automotive gasoline operating limitations, and he regularly fueled the airplane with automotive gasoline that contained ethanol.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A partial loss of power due to the use of automotive gasoline that contained ethanol, which was prohibited by the operating limitations. Contributing to the accident was the pilot/owner's failure to obtain and comply with the applicable operating limitations.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/19/2009 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1841 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Chipley |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 32428 |
| Event Date Year | 2009 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 302750N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0854059W |
| Event Location Airport | Crystal Village Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 2FL0 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 113 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1853 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 180 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PFN |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 20 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 15 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| 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) | 30 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 26 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 280 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 9 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.89 |
| 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) | 27347 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Southern ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 4 2010 8:19PM |
| User who most recently changed record | johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N41915 |
| NTSB Number | ERA09LA357 |
| 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 | LUSCOMBE |
| Aircraft Model | 8 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | A |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1876 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1260 |
| 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 | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Mar 2 2008 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 3441 |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | James Luther |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 5173 PANTHER TRL |
| Aircraft Owner City | Chipley |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 32428 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | James Luther |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 5173 PANTHER TRL |
| Operator City | Chipley |
| Operator State | FL |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 32428 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| 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 | 2FL0 |
| Departure City | Chipley |
| Departure State | FL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1941 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | 2FL0 |
| Destination City | Chipley |
| Destination State | FL |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 20 2010 3:27PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 03 |
| Runway Length | 3500 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |