Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Pierce County -Thun Field Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Puyallup, Washington 98374
Saturday, July 5, 2014 15:13 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
On July 5, 2014, at 1513 Pacific daylight time, a Globe Swift GC-1B, N3773K, made a forced landing into a field following a total loss of engine power during the approach to Pierce County Airport/Thun Field, Puyallup, Washington. The pilot, who was the registered owner, was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage. The local flight departed from Vashon Municipal Airport, Vashon, Washington about 1455 with a planned destination of Puyallup. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed.
In a written statement the pilot reported that while on the downwind leg of the traffic pattern for runway 34, he configured the airplane for landing which included lowering the landing gear. He extended the downwind leg to allow for adequate spacing of other traffic and lowered the wing flaps as he turned onto the base leg. During the turn, the engine made a loud "bang" and began to experience a partial loss of power. The JPI engine monitor installed was indicating that the exhaust gas temperatures (EGTs) on that engines right side (cylinders number 1,3, and 5) were almost non-existent. The oil and fuel pressure gauges remained in the green, showing normal indications.
The pilot further stated that gray smoke began emanating through the right side of the cockpit although he couldn't detect the source of the fire or any flames. He activated the fuel boost pump to the "low boost" setting and the engine began operating worse. Thereafter he turned off the boost pump and the engine appeared to temporarily gain power though the JPI now showed low EGT indications for the left cylinders. The airplane continued to descend and collided with an embankment that was located on the airport property prior to the runway. The airplane bounced and slid to a stop. As a result of the impact, the airplane incurred structural damage to the left wing.
A preliminary engine examination revealed that the number 3 cylinder's piston was not intact. The cylinder was retained for further examination.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/5/2014 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1513 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Puyallup |
| Event State | WASHINGTON |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 98374 |
| Event Date Year | 2014 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 470614N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1221714W |
| Event Location Airport | Pierce County -Thun Field |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | PLU |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 538 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2215 Coordinated Universal Time? Same as GMT |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PLU |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 538 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | UTC |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 2400 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| 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) | 24 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 18 |
| 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) | 30.1 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR KPLU 072215Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM SCT024 24/18 |
| 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) | -- |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Comm Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 23 2014 2:53PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kelz |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N3773K |
| NTSB Number | WPR14LA284 |
| 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 | GLOBE |
| Aircraft Model | GC 1B |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | NO SERIES |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1466 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1970 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | 1 |
| 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 | Oct 20 2013 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 3432 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | PERLA GUIDO F |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | VASHON |
| Aircraft Owner State | WA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 980706322 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | PERLA GUIDO F |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | VASHON |
| Operator State | WA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 980706322 |
| 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 | 2S1 |
| Departure City | Vashon |
| Departure State | WA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1455 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | PLU |
| Destination City | Puyallup |
| Destination State | WA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 23 2014 4:20PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 34 |
| Runway Length | 3650 |
| Runway Width | 60 |
| Sight Seeing flight | -- |
| Air Medical Flight | -- |
| Medical Flight | -- |