Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Pickens County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Jasper, Georgia 30143
Friday, February 17, 2012 12:07 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot and the flight instructor reported that they conducted an extensive preflight inspection and filled the fuel tanks with fuel prior to departure for the pilot’s biennial flight review in the newly purchased airplane. They further reported that they sumped the fuel tanks before and after the refueling and noted no water or contamination. The takeoff was uneventful, and they remained in the traffic pattern to practice takeoffs and landings. While on final approach for the first landing, the pilot added power, and the engine subsequently sputtered and lost power. The flight instructor completed a forced landing to a field, and, during the landing roll, the airplane impacted a truck. Postaccident examination of the airplane and engine revealed large amounts of water in the fuel strainer bowl and carburetor bowl. Additionally, corrosion was observed inside the fuel tanks and the fuel strainer bowl, and the fuel cap gaskets appeared stiff and cracked. The airplane’s most recent annual inspection was completed about 6 months before the accident. The airplane had been stored outside while it was for sale, and it had only accumulated 4 hours of flight time in the previous 2 years and had not flown at all in the 3 months preceding the accident. Given the amount of water in the carburetor bowl and fuel strainer bowl, the poor condition of the fuel cap gaskets, and the presence of corrosion in the fuel tanks and fuel strainer bowl, it is likely that water had entered the fuel system during the time the airplane was stored outside. Further, it is unlikely that the pilots conducted a thorough preflight inspection, otherwise the water would have been detected.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilots' inadequate preflight inspection that failed to detect water-contaminated fuel, which resulted in a total loss of engine power.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 2/17/2012 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1207 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | Jasper |
| Event State | GEORGIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 30143 |
| Event Date Year | 2012 |
| Event Date Month | 2 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 342712N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0842726W |
| Event Location Airport | Pickens County Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | JZP |
| 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 | 1535 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1155 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 180 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | CNI |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1219 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 9 |
| 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) | 14 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 7 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.13 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | -- |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 30136 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA SROCC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 30 2012 8:18PM |
| User who most recently changed record | snyg |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N60276 |
| NTSB Number | ERA12LA186 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | CESSNA |
| Aircraft Model | 150J |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 15070190 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1600 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | 2 |
| 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 15 2011 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 2 |
| Airframe Hours | 3443 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | David Matthews |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2051 West Summit Ave |
| Aircraft Owner City | San Antonio |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 78201 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | David Matthews |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 2051 West Summit Ave |
| Operator City | San Antonio |
| Operator State | TX |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 78201 |
| 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) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | JZP |
| Departure City | Jasper |
| Departure State | GA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1215 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | JZP |
| Destination City | Jasper |
| Destination State | GA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 19 2012 2:33PM |
| User who most recently changed record | gots |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 16 |
| Runway Length | 5000 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |