Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Robertson Field Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Plainville, Connecticut 06062
Sunday, June 9, 2013 9:20 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot stated that, as he reduced power, he incrementally increased the flap settings to 10, 20 and 30 degrees on the downwind leg on the west side of the runway. He added that he applied carburetor heat when he increased the flap setting to 20 degrees. At 80 mph, with 30 degrees of flaps extended and before turning to the base leg of the traffic pattern, the engine experienced a total loss of power. During the subsequent forced landing, the airplane flew from west to east across the runway, rather than turning toward the runway, and crashed in marshland on the east side of the runway abeam the numbers. The fuel system was sumped from three points, and each sample contained a significant quantity of water. The fuel system was drained, the airplane was serviced with fresh fuel, and an engine start was initiated. The engine started immediately, accelerated smoothly, and ran continuously without interruption. Examination of the seals around the fuel caps revealed that they were unserviceable, and no longer functioned as designed. Over 3 inches of rain fell between the previous flight and the accident flight and likely entered the fuel tanks through the seals around the fuel caps.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot’s overflight of the landing runway during a forced landing after a loss of engine power. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s inadequate preflight which resulted in his failure to detect water contamination of the fuel system.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/9/2013 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 920 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Plainville |
| Event State | CONNECTICUT |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 06062 |
| Event Date Year | 2013 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 414113N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0725131W |
| Event Location Airport | Robertson Field |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 4B8 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 200 |
| Airport Elevation | 202 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 853 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 90 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KHFC |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 19 |
| 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) | 21 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 13 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 350 |
| 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) | 30.15 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR KHFD 091253Z 35004KT 10SM CLR 21/13 A3015 RM |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 32653 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA NE ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 2 2014 12:34PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N2585V |
| NTSB Number | ERA13LA276 |
| 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 | 170 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 18090 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| 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 4 2012 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 5739 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | SUTTMEIER ROBERT |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | PURLING |
| Aircraft Owner State | NY |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 12470 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | SUTTMEIER ROBERT |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | PURLING |
| Operator State | NY |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 12470 |
| 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 | MMK |
| Departure City | Meriden |
| Departure State | CT |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | -- |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | 4B8 |
| Destination City | Plainville |
| Destination State | CT |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 2 2014 12:40PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 02 |
| Runway Length | 3665 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |