Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Samuels Field Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Bardstown, Kentucky 40004
Thursday, August 30, 2012 14:00 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
According to the flight instructor, he and the student pilot had practiced various maneuvers during the training flight and were returning to the airport. The airplane was about 2,500 feet above ground level and within gliding distance of the airport when the flight instructor turned the fuel selector to the "OFF" position so the student pilot could practice engine failure procedures. (Although no regulations prohibit turning the fuel selector to the off position while practicing engine failure procedures, the practice results in an actual, not a simulated, loss of engine power, and is therefore inherently more risky than a reduction in engine power to idle, especially when initiated at a low altitude.) The student pilot trimmed the airplane for best glide speed, initiated a turn toward the airport, and reviewed the pertinent emergency procedure guidance in the pilot operating handbook. The student pilot could not locate the airport until the flight instructor directed him. When the student pilot was unable to restart the engine, the flight instructor took control of the airplane and tried to restart the engine. The flight instructor’s efforts to restart the engine were also unsuccessful, and, believing it was too risky to try to reach the airport, the flight instructor selected the best available field for a forced landing. During the landing, the nose landing gear impacted the ground and the firewall was substantially damaged. The student pilot, who was also a mechanic, reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal engine restart and operation.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The flight instructor's decision to turn the fuel selector to the off position and his delayed remedial actions to restart the engine, which resulted in fuel starvation and a subsequent forced landing.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/30/2012 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1400 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Bardstown |
| Event State | KENTUCKY |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 40004 |
| Event Date Year | 2012 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 374831N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0852935W |
| Event Location Airport | Samuels Field Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | BRY |
| 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 | 669 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1455 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 265 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | FTK |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 755 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 23 |
| 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) | 32 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 18 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 90 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.05 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 30860 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA EROCC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 28 2012 2:02PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N21214 |
| NTSB Number | ERA12CA546 |
| 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 | CESSNA |
| Aircraft Model | 172M |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 17263908 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2300 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Aug 5 2012 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 1852 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | SPALDING HARRY S |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | COXS CREEK |
| Aircraft Owner State | KY |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 40013-7694 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | SPALDING HARRY S |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | COXS CREEK |
| Operator State | KY |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 40013-7694 |
| 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 | BRY |
| Departure City | Bardstown |
| Departure State | KY |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1300 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | BRY |
| Destination City | Bardstown |
| Destination State | KY |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 28 2012 2:02PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |