Bakersfield, CA, USA
N599LS
Luscombe Silvaire Aircraft Co. S-LSA-8C
The pilot departed for a cross-country flight with full fuel in the left and right fuel tanks and with the left fuel tank selected. However, during the flight the pilot was unable to change from the almost empty left fuel tank to the full right fuel tank. When the engine began to lose power due to fuel starvation, the pilot decided to land in a field to troubleshoot the fuel selector issue. A witness, who saw the airplane land and spoke with the pilot, said that the pilot reported a problem with the fuel selector valve. The witness saw the pilot working on the airplane, and then the pilot and passenger stated that they were going to fly to a nearby airport to complete repairs. According to the passenger, they examined the fuel valve and found that the set screw had fallen out. He thought that they set the fuel selector to the right fuel tank before attempting the flight for further repairs. However, about 10 seconds after takeoff the engine started to lose power again. The pilot attempted to turn back to land in the field again, but the airplane pitched down in a left turn and impacted the ground. Postaccident examination of the fuel selector valve and assembly revealed that the fuel selector valve shaft was sheared off, disconnecting the handle from the valve, and that the fuel valve was positioned to draw fuel from the left fuel tank. The airplane total time at the accident site was 1.82 hours. A logbook entry dated the day of the accident documented the issuance of a Special Airworthiness Certificate and Operating Limitations that day. Photographs taken during the issuance of the Special Airworthiness Certificate and Operating Limitations and those taken after the accident (as well as a note on the pilot’s kneeboard), indicated that the airspeed indicator color arcs were not marked as required.
On May 21, 2010, about 1615 Pacific daylight time (PDT), a Luscombe Silvaire Aircraft Company, S-LSA-8C, Special Light Sport Aircraft (SLSA), N599LS, crashed during takeoff in a field near Bakersfield, California, following a loss of engine power. The owner/pilot was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The certificated private pilot and one passenger sustained serious injuries; the airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, fuselage and tail section. The cross-country personal flight departed Riverside, California, about 1400 with a planned destination of Columbia, California. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. In his written statement, the pilot said that while en route and using the left fuel tank, he had difficulty with the fuel selector valve and the engine experienced a loss of power due to apparent fuel starvation. He landed in a field to investigate the problem. Witnesses saw the airplane land and spoke with the pilot who related that he had a problem with the fuel selector switch. They saw the pilot working under the dash of the airplane and afterwords the pilot and passenger stated they were going to takeoff and fly to a nearby airport. Witnesses in the area heard the accident airplane’s engine start up and then stop. The engine restarted and they watched as the airplane took off. Almost immediately after takeoff, it sounded like the engine lost power. The airplane was then observed turning back toward the departure point and appeared to “stall and [come] straight down.” The pilot was transported to a local hospital, and due to his injuries, was not interviewed by investigators. The passenger was interviewed by police, and stated that the airplane had just been certified and was being flown to Columbia to attend the Luscombe Fly-in. The passenger related that they had departed from Riverside with full fuel in both wing tanks, which hold 15 gallons each. About 1 hour into the flight, the engine started to lose power and the pilot was unable to switch fuel tanks. The pilot decided to make a precautionary landing in a field to troubleshoot the fuel selector valve. After landing safely, the pilot determined that the fuel valve selector had come loose. The pilot attempted to switch the fuel selector valve from the empty left tank to the full right tank. Believing he had accomplished switching the valve to the full right tank, the pilot and passenger decided they would fly to a nearby airport to finish the repairs. The engine was started and appeared to be functioning properly. The passenger did not observe the pilot do any run up, or perform a magneto check prior to taking off. About 10 seconds after takeoff the engine started losing power. He saw that the pilot was making a turn back toward their departure point. The airplane continued to descend in a nose down, left turn until it struck the ground. At the accident site there was a note pad recovered with two handwritten entries, one of which was “Mag switch not working properly,” the other was “Red Yellow Green Arcs.” The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) accident coordinator who responded to the accident site examined the fuel selector valve and assembly. He noted that the fuel selector valve shaft was sheared off. The FAA inspector further reported that the fuel valve was configured to draw fuel from the left fuel tank. The airplane was a Special Light Sport Aircraft, Luscombe Silvaire Aircraft Company, Model S-LSA-8C, serial number SLS-003. A special flight permit and operating limitation for flight test was issued by a Designated Airworthiness Representative (DAR) on May 20, 2009, for the accident airplane. The operator reported that the airplane had a total airframe time of .5 hours at the last inspection. The logbooks contained an entry for the inspection dated May 21, 2009. At the accident site the engine tachometer read 0001.82 hours. A logbook entry dated May 21, 2009, listed the issuance of a Special Airworthiness Certificate and Operating Limitations by the Designated Airworthiness Representative (DAR). A review of the photographs taken by the DAR showed the airspeed color arcs were missing. Photographs of the airspeed indicator taken after the accident also showed that the airspeed color arcs were missing. Certification for Special Light Sport Aircraft under ASTM Standards F-2245 require Airspeed indicator range markings.
The pilot's continued operation of the airplane with known mechanical deficiencies, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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