Berrie KOLB MARK III N350RB
20 September 2008 · East Haddam, Connecticut, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 20 September 2008 at about 12:55 local time, a Berrie KOLB MARK III registered N350RB, operated by Robert C. Berrie, was involved in an accident near East Haddam, Connecticut, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 12:55
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- East Haddam, Connecticut, United States
- Nearest airport
- Goodspeed Airport (42B)
- Coordinates
- 41.4456, -72.4556
- Aircraft
- Berrie KOLB MARK III
- Registration
- N350RB
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Robert C. Berrie
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- East Haddam → East Haddam
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- MIA08LA197
People
2 people were seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot's improper preflight inspection of the airplane. Contributing to the accident was water contamination of the fuel.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot stated that he conducted a preflight inspection, and an engine run-up before departing. He added 1.5 to 2 gallons of automotive gasoline to the fuel tank; however he did not stick the fuel tanks or check to see if there was any water present in the fuel tanks. He turned the boost pump on, and departed from runway 14. The airplane was on initial takeoff climb, about 300 feet when the engine sputtered and lost power. He immediately turned the airplane to the right in order to return to the airport, and the airplane collided with trees and came to rest inverted on the ground. Examination of both fuel tanks revealed the fuel tanks were not ruptured and the fuel caps had a tight seal. The airplane is not equipped with fuel sump drains. Examination of the fuel system revealed all fuel lines were intact and correctly routed. Water was present in the fuel lines and the carburetor bowls. The spark plugs were removed and the propeller was turned by hand. Compression and suction was available on all cylinders and engine continuity was confirmed from the forward section of the engine aft to the accessory case. Fire department personnel who responded to the accident site stated no water was used on the airplane.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Oct 2008 | Cessna 182T | Manchester, Connecticut, United States | Civil Air Patrol | No injuries | - |
| 1 Nov 2008 | Grumman American Avn AA-5B | Bridgeport, Connecticut, United States | Blue Sky Flight | No injuries | - |
| 11 Nov 2008 | Cessna 172 | Groton, Connecticut, United States | Heritage Flight Academy, LLC | No injuries | - |
| 19 Apr 2008 | Piper PA-28-235 | Ellington, Connecticut, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 19 Nov 2008 | Cessna 172S | Groton, Connecticut, United States | Panorama Flight Services | Minor injuries | - |
| 8 Jul 2008 | Traxler John N KITFOX | Hartford, Connecticut, United States | Dill Jeffrey R | No injuries | - |