BROADWAY, NC, USA
N1035J
AERO COMMANDER 112
THE PRIVATE PILOT WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT WHEN THE ENGINE LOST POWER AND QUIT. A RESTART WAS UNSUCCESSFUL, AND THE PILOT FORCE LANDED THE AIRPLANE IN A TOBACCO FIELD. THE AIRCRAFT NOSED OVER DURING THE LANDING ON THE ROUGH TERRAIN. AN INSPECTION OF THE FUEL SYSTEM REVEALED THAT THE GASCOLATOR WAS FULL OF RUSTY COLORED WATER. THE AUX FUEL PUMP AND OUTLET LINE CONTAINED WATER. THE GASCOLATOR SCREEN WAS COATED WITH A SLIMY, RUST COLORED SUBSTANCE. THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN FLOWN ABOUT 4 HOURS SINCE THE LAST ANNUAL INSPECTION, WHICH TOOK PLACE OVER A YEAR PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT.
On July 21, 1993, at about 1137 eastern daylight time, an Aero Commander 112, N1035J, nosed over during a forced landing at Broadway, North Carolina. The private pilot and one passenger had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The aircraft was owned and operated under 14 CFR Part 91 by the pilot. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight to Atlanta, Georgia. The flight originated in Rocky Mount, North Carolina at about 1102. The pilot reported the following: While established in cruise flight at 2,500 feet mean sea level (msl), the engine lost power and quit. Attempts to restart the engine were unsuccessful. He flew a no flap approach into a tobacco field. During the landing roll, the nose gear collapsed, and the aircraft nosed over. An airframe and powerplants mechanic inspected the aircraft following the accident. The electric auxiliary fuel pump was operated, and a trace of water came out at the outlet port. The fuel sediment bowl and gascolator were full of rusty colored water. The gascolator screen was coated with a slimy, rust colored substance. The flexible hose from the auxiliary pump to the engine driven fuel pump contained a slight amount of water. According to maintenance records, the last inspection on the aircraft was an annual inspection on July 1, 1992. At the time of the accident, the aircraft had been flown about 4 hours since this inspection. The aircraft had been flown about 42 hours since February of 1990. The pilot did not comply with 49 CFR Part 830, requiring the completion of NTSB Form 6120.1/2 (Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report).
WATER AND CONTAMINANTS IN THE AIRCRAFT FUEL SYSTEM, AND THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT OF THE AIRCRAFT. A FACTOR WAS THE ROUGH TERRAIN AT THE FORCED LANDING SITE.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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