Briggs GLASAIR III N55EE

Summary

On 19 April 1995 at about 18:30 local time, a Briggs GLASAIR III registered N55EE, operated by Briggs, Leslie, was involved in an accident near Crescent, Oklahoma, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

19 April 1995 at 18:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Crescent, Oklahoma, United States

Coordinates

35.9397, -97.5794

Aircraft

Briggs GLASAIR III

Registration

N55EE

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Briggs, Leslie

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Ponca City → Oklahoma City

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW95LA175

Nobody was injured.

TOTAL NON-MECHANICAL POWER LOSS DUE TO A FUEL SYSTEM VAPOR LOCK. A FACTOR WAS THE UNEVEN TERRAIN ON WHICH THE FORCED LANDING WAS MADE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT LANDED AT PONCA CITY, OKLAHOMA, AFTER A FLIGHT FROM ST. CLOUD, MINNESOTA. THE ENGINE WOULD NOT START AFTER THE AIRPLANE WAS REFUELED. AFTER MAKING SEVERAL PERFUNCTORY CHECKS, THE ENGINE STARTED. IT RAN ROUGH INITIALLY, THEN SMOOTHED OUT. THE PILOT MADE A SHORT TEST FLIGHT AND DISCOVERED THE ENGINE OPERATED SMOOTHLY AT LOW AND HIGH MANIFOLD PRESSURE SETTINGS, BUT RAN ROUGH AT MID-RANGE MANIFOLD PRESSURE SETTINGS. SUSPECTING A FUEL VAPOR LOCK, THE RESTRICTOR VALVE IN THE FUEL INJECTOR WAS REPLACED. THE PILOT TOOK OFF FOR OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA. NEAR CRESCENT, OKLAHOMA, THE ENGINE LOST POWER AND THE PILOT MADE A FORCED LANDING IN A WHEAT FIELD. DURING THE LANDING ROLL, THE NOSE WHEEL HIT A SMALL DIP IN THE FIELD AND THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.