N41915

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On June 19, 2009, about 1841 central daylight time, a Luscombe 8A, N41915, was substantially damaged following a partial loss of engine power and a subsequent forced landing in Chipley, Florida. The student pilot/owner was seriously injured. The personal flight was operated under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local flight, and no flight plan was filed.

According to the pilot, he kept the airplane in a hangar at Crystal Village Airport (2FL0), Chipley, Florida. About 3 months prior to the accident, the pilot left for an extended international trip. The accident flight was the first flight of the airplane since the pilot returned from his trip, and the airplane was not flown by anyone else in his absence. On the day of the accident, the pilot's plan was to conduct a few circuits of the traffic pattern at 2FL0. The airplane contained about 5 gallons of fuel from the last time it was flown, and the pilot added about 5 more gallons for the flight. He was aware of, and had some concern about, the fact that the engine had not been operated in a few months, and also about the fact that the fuel was "aged." He therefore paid close attention to the engine on start and during the run up, but the engine "ran like a top."

The takeoff was normal, but on the downwind leg, the pilot noticed that the engine speed had decreased to about 1,800 rpm. He did a "quick check" of the engine controls, and confirmed that all were appropriately set. When he re-checked the tachometer, the engine speed had decreased to 1,000 rpm. The pilot determined that the airplane was not going to be able to return to 2FL0, since at that time he was "over water" and "didn’t have a lot of altitude." The pilot sighted a "small clearing" suitable for a forced landing, and set up a descent for the clearing. The engine was still operating, but at a low rpm. When the airplane was on short final, the pilot saw two powerlines just ahead of him. He flew over the first one, and believed, but was not certain, that he flew under the second one. He was convinced that the airplane did not strike either powerline. The airplane touched down short of the selected clearing, and the pilot saw the propeller strike and "shred" a small "scrub tree." The next and last event that the pilot remembered was that the windshield "exploded."

Two witnesses located north of 2FL0, and approximately 3,000 feet west of the accident site, saw the airplane fly overhead at a "very low altitude," with the propeller rotating. One witness said that the engine was "very quiet," and the other witness said that the "engine was pulled back to idle." The airplane struck trees and came to rest inverted, perpendicular to, and on the edge of, a sandy road, about 1/4 mile northeast of the airport.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

FAA records indicated that the pilot held a student pilot certificate that was first issued in November 2007, and re-issued in June 2008. His most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued in May 2004. According to the pilot, he had approximately 240 total hours of flight experience, and approximately 35 hours in the accident airplane make and model. The pilot did not provide his flight log for the investigation.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

FAA records indicated that the airplane was manufactured in 1941 as a Luscombe 8B. At the time of manufacture, it was equipped with a Lycoming O-145-B2 engine rated at 65 horsepower (hp). In 1949, a Continental A65-8 engine, also rated at 65 hp, was installed, and the airplane was re-designated as a Luscombe 8A.

The type certificate data sheet (TCDS) indicated that the airplane had a maximum weight of 1,200 pounds, and a fuel capacity of 14 gallons. The TCDS listed a maximum of 2,350 rpm for the A65 engine. The TCDS stated that a cockpit placard with the following text was required: "Full carburetor air heat required for takeoff and landing." The TCDS also stated that "The reason for this placard is that during takeoff acceleration and initial high angle-of-attack climb, the fuel flow may not be adequate for proper operation. Application of full carburetor heat in this case helps overcome the possible deficiency of fuel flow during takeoff. Carburetor ice is not a basic consideration in requiring this placard." Examination of the cockpit indicated that the "carburetor air" placard was installed, and that the engine tachometer was marked in accordance with the rpm limit specified in the TCDS.

In May 1991, the engine and airplane were approved to use automotive gasoline ("autogas") by supplemental type certificates (STC) SE634GL and SA730GL, respectively. Both STCs were held by the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA). The STC documentation stated that compliance was attained "by installation of placards and airplane flight manual supplement."

The pilot purchased the airplane from another individual in May 2008, and registered it with the FAA soon thereafter.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

The 1853 automated weather observation at Panama City-Bay County International Airport (PFN) Panama City, Florida, located 15 miles south of the accident site, included winds from 280 degrees at 9 knots, visibility 10 miles, clear skies, temperature 30 degrees C, dew point 26 degrees C, and an altimeter setting of 29.89 inches of mercury.

AIRPORT INFORMATION

2FL0 was equipped with a single turf runway that was 3,500 feet long and 75 feet wide. The runway orientation was noted as 3/21, and the elevation was 113 feet MSL. There was no air traffic control tower at 2FL0.

WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION

The accident site was located about 1,000 feet north-northeast of the threshold of runway 21. The airplane was inverted, with the vertical stabilizer resting on west edge of the road, and the tail pointing toward approximately 080 degrees magnetic. The only ground scar was an oval area that measured about 6 feet long and 4 feet wide, located about 6 feet from the nose of the airplane. Several power- or telephone-wires were strung parallel to, and on the west side of, the road. These wires were about 20 feet above the ground, and just west of the airplane. Several trees located about 60 feet west of the airplane had freshly broken branches about 10 feet above the ground.

The lower cowl was crushed in the up and aft direction, and both main landing gear wheel pants exhibited crush and deformation damage in the same direction as the cowl. The spinner was crushed in the same direction as the cowl, but neither the spinner nor the propeller exhibited any rotational scoring. The fuselage aft of the firewall sustained longitudinal crush damage, and the aft fuselage was slightly buckled. The vertical stabilizer and outboard leading edge of the left wing also sustained crush damage.

According to the FAA inspector, the cap from the left fuel tank was found under the left wing, and there was only a "light smell of automotive gasoline" at the site. Acquaintances of the pilot transported the airplane to the pilot's hangar, still in the inverted position. No record of the airplane or engine total time in service (TT) at the time of the accident was provided.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Airplane Maintenance Records

Two logbooks, one each "aircraft" and "engine," were obtained and reviewed. Each logbook bore the notation "#2" on its respective front page, and the first entry in each logbook was dated October 5, 2005. No evidence of an annual inspection within the 12 months preceding the accident was found in any of the maintenance records. The most recent annual inspection that was documented in both logbooks was completed on November 18, 2006. Those entries indicated that the airplane had a TT of 3,429.7 hours, and that the engine had a TT, time since major overhaul (TSMOH), and time since top overhaul (TSTOH) of 3424.7, 779.7, and 84.7 hours respectively. The November 2006 annual inspection entry was the most recent entry in the aircraft logbook; the majority of the pages were still blank.

The engine logbook contained two entries subsequent to the November 2006 annual inspection, and like the aircraft log, most pages were still blank. The first post-November 2006 entry was dated March 2, 2008, indicated that an annual inspection was completed on the engine, at a TSMOH of 790.3 hours, and a TSTOH of 95.3 hours. The most recent entry was dated April 26, 2008, and documented a cylinder compression check. The entry indicated a TSMOH of 791.1 hours, and a TSTOH of ".8" hours. Neither entry contained a TT for the engine.

STC Information

According to the EAA, incorporation of the original STCs (SE634GL and SA730GL) required installation of one placard per fuel tank, and a supplement for insertion into the airplane flight manual. The placards, flight manual supplement and STC instructions all contained the statement "Do not use automotive gasoline containing alcohol."

According to the FAA, on March 5, 2004, STC SE634GL was surrendered and superseded by STC SE01943CH, and STC SA703GL was surrendered and superseded by STC SA01944CH. The STCs were superseded to incorporate new ASTM standards applicable to autogas, and the new STCs were also held by the EAA. The new ASTM standards applied to "gasoline and its blends with oxygenates, such as alcohols." The old and new placards, flight manual supplements, and STC instructions contained the statement "Do not use automotive gasoline containing alcohol." The STC instructions stated that each supplied placard was to be placed "adjacent to the fuel inlet," and that the supplement "must be in the aircraft and available to the pilot anytime the aircraft is being operated" on autogas. STC documentation and the flight manual supplement required that the supplement "must be in the aircraft and available to the pilot anytime the aircraft is being operated" on autogas. The STC documentation also stated that the auth...