Piper PA-18A-150 N8977D

Summary

On 28 March 1983 at about 01:30 local time, a Piper PA-18A-150 registered N8977D was involved in an accident near Worland, Wyoming, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

28 March 1983 at 01:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Worland, Wyoming, United States

Coordinates

44.0002, -107.9506

Aircraft

Piper PA-18A-150

Registration

N8977D

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Torrington → Worland

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

DEN83LA086

Nobody was injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH A DITCH AND COLLAPSED THE LANDING GEAR DURING A FORCED LANDING AFTER THE ENGINE QUIT DURING A FERRY FLIGHT. THE PLT REFUELED THE EMPTY RIGHT FUEL TANK AND TOPPED-OFF THE LEFT TANK WITH 3 GALLONS OF FUEL BEFORE THE INITIAL TAKEOFF ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PLT REPORTED THAT DURING THE FLT HE FLEW ON THE LEFT TANK UNTIL IT WAS ALMOST EMPTY BEFORE SWITCHING TO THE RIGHT TANK. SHORTLY AFTER SWITCHING TANKS THE ENGINE STOPPED. THE PLT SWITCHED BACKTO THE LEFT TANK AND WAS ABLE TO REGAIN POWER. BUT SOON THE ENGINE QUIT AGAIN AND THE PLT USED THE HAND PRIMER WHILE SWITCHING TO THE RIGHT TANK. THE ENGINE WOULD NOT RESTART SO THE PLT SELECTED A DIRT ROAD FOR LANDING. INVESTIGAITON REVEALED SEVERAL DISCREPANCIES IN THE FUEL SYSTEM. NO FILTER SCREEN WAS INSTALLED IN THE GASCOLATOR. THE MIXTURE CONTROLWAS NOT PROPERLY ATTACHED. THE RIGHT FUEL TANK WAS CONTAMINATED. THE RIGHT TANK DRAIN SUMP COULD NOT BE OPERATED. THE CARBURETOR CONTAINED WATER AND CONTAMINATION IN THE BOTTOM OF THE FLOAT CHAMBER.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.