Cessna 170, N2561V: Accident occurred July 11, 2012 in Panama City, Florida

NTSB Identification: ERA12LA440 
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Wednesday, July 11, 2012 in Panama City, FL
Aircraft: CESSNA 170, registration: N2561V
Injuries: 1 Serious.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.

On July 11, 2012, at 1053 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 170, N2561V, was substantially damaged during a forced landing after takeoff from Sandy Creek Airpark (75FL), Panama City, Florida. The certificated airline transport pilot was seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight, which departed 75FL at the time of the accident. The personal flight was operated under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

According to a witness acquainted with the pilot, the airplane was departing on the first leg of a cross-country flight to Alaska. The witness helped the pilot/owner prep the airplane for flight, as it had not flown for several months. Fuel samples were taken from each fuel tank sump, and several successive samples contained water.

In a telephone interview with a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the pilot/owner said he found water in several fuel samples, and ultimately drained the right fuel tank completely. He further stated that he serviced the right tank with 10 gallons of automotive gasoline to match the 10 gallons contained in the left tank.

After completion of a 15-minute engine run to ensure that there was "no water in the carburetor," the pilot departed, and experienced a loss of engine power immediately after takeoff. He turned the airplane to return to the airport, but landed in a retention pond short of the runway.

Four 5-gallon cans and one 2-gallon can full of automotive fuel were found floating in the pond along with one empty 5-gallon can. After recovery of the airplane, two gallons of fuel, one from each main tank, were drained from the airplane.

Inspection of the airplane at the scene revealed no mechanical anomalies, and the engine was retained for further examination.

The airline transport pilot held multiple pilot certificates and ratings. His most recent FAA second class medical certificate was issued in September 2010.

According to FAA records, the airplane was manufactured in 1948, and the tachometer displayed 1,540.9 aircraft hours. The maintenance records were not immediately available for review.

FAA IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 2561V        Make/Model: C170      Description: 1948 CESSNA 170
  Date: 07/11/2012     Time: 1445

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Minor     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Substantial

LOCATION
  City: PANAMA CITY   State: FL   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  AIRCRAFT FORCE LANDED IN A POND, NEAR PANAMA CITY, FL

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   0
                 # Crew:   1     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   1     Unk:    
                 # Pass:   0     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:    
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:    


OTHER DATA
  Activity: Unknown      Phase: Landing      Operation: OTHER


  FAA FSDO: BIRMINGHAM, AL  (SO09)                Entry date: 07/12/2012 

http://registry.faa.gov/N2561V

Firefighters on the scene were unsure why the plane was carrying several 10-gallon gas cans. 

ROBERT COOPER | The News Herald 

First responders assess the situation.

ROBERT COOPER | The News Herald

 

Cessna 170, N2561V crashed Wednesday in a retention pond at Sandy Creek Airpark. ROBERT COOPER | The News Herald 

Cessna 170, N2561V crashed Wednesday in a retention pond at Sandy Creek Airpark.

ROBERT COOPER | The News Herald

 

 Sandy Creek Airpark was the site of a plane crash on Wednesday. 

ROBERT COOPER | The News Herald 

CALLAWAY — A pilot was hospitalized Wednesday after the small plane he was flying crashed into a pond near the Sandy Creek Airpark.

The pilot was in the Bay Medical Center emergency room Wednesday afternoon in serious condition, according to hospital spokeswoman Christa Hild. The pilot’s name was not released, but the registered owners of the plane are Jeff and Judy Meinel, according to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The plane is a single-engine fixed wing Cessna 170 built in 1948. Preliminary reports indicate the pilot lost power shortly after take off, according to Kathleen Berger, a spokeswoman for the FAA.

 
http://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/photo/663546L.html

http://registry.faa.gov/N2561V

http://flightaware.com/photo

There has been a plane crash at the Sandy Creek Airpark in eastern Bay County. Minor injuries are being reported. 

The plane, described as a small experimental class plane, crashed at Sandy Creek around 10:50 this morning.

The pilot's identity was not immediately available, but it’s know he sustained minor injuries and was taken by private citizens to a local medical facility for treatment.

It’ not known what caused the plane to go down. It end up in a retention pond and sources at the scene say about 15 gallons of fuel is leaking from the tanks of the plane.

Sandy Creek is a private airstrip owned by the Sandy Creek community. It was recently repaved and is popular with private experimental aircraft owners and enthusiasts.  

Source:  http://www.wjhg.com

There has been a plane crash at the Sandy Creek airpark in eastern Bay County. Minor injuries are being reported.

The plane, a 1948 Cessna 170 single engine aircraft, crashed at Sandy Creek around 10:50 this morning.

The pilot's identity was not immediately available, but it’s know he sustained minor injuries and was taken by private citizens to a local hospital where he is reported in serious condition. The plane is registered to Jeff Meinel of Yellow Bluff Road.

It’ not known what caused the plane to go down. It had just taken off and the engine sputtered. The pilot turned around and was trying to land when he ended up in a retention pond. Sources at the scene say about 15 gallons of fuel is leaking from the tanks of the plane.

 Sandy Creek is a private airstrip owned by the Sandy Creek community. It was recently repaved and is popular with private experimental aircraft and small engine plane owners and enthusiasts.