Globe GC-1B N80951

Summary

On 18 December 1999 at about 22:17 local time, a Globe GC-1B registered N80951, operated by Thomas A. Barr, was involved in an accident near Edgewood, Texas, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

18 December 1999 at 22:17

Classification

Accident

Location

Edgewood, Texas, United States

Coordinates

32.6894, -95.8794

Aircraft

Globe GC-1B

Registration

N80951

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Thomas A. Barr

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Sulphur Springs → Canton

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW00FA046

1 person died.

the pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during a forced landing which resulted in a stall/spin. Contributing factors were the failure of the engine driven fuel pump, the engine manufacturer's use of an inadequate fuel pump which was only intended for automobile engines, and the FAA's certification of the engine with an inadequate component.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot made a radio call indicating that he had an engine problem or failure and was going down. Witnesses observed the airplane maneuvering at a low altitude with the propeller not turning. As the airplane made a turn, its nose dropped, and the airplane descended and impacted the ground. Examination of the accident site revealed that the airplane impacted the ground in a nose down attitude. An examination of the WSK 'PZL-Rzeszow' (PZL) Franklin 6A-350-C1R engine revealed that the engine driven fuel pump had failed. It was determined that the inlet and outlet valve stems fractured due to fatigue. According to a PZL representative, PZL did not know who manufactured the pump and did 'not know characteristics' of the pump. Research revealed that this fuel pump was designed for use in the Chevrolet Corvair automobile. According to the pump manufacturer, the pump was intended strictly for automotive applications, and not intended for aviation use. The pump was designed to operate at 5.4 pounds per square inch minimum and 6.9 pounds per square inch maximum static pressure at the pump outlet when the pump is operated at 1,800 revolutions per minute. According to the PZL representative, the operating limits for fuel pressure in model 6A-350-C1R engines are 0.5 pounds per square inch minimum to 8.5 pounds per square inch maximum. The FAA issued 'Type Certification Data Sheet No. E9EA' for the PZL Franklin 6A-350-C1R engine on December 8, 1994.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.