Sunday, July 15, 2012

Sc Iar Sa Brasov IAR 825, N825BA: Accident occurred July 15, 2012 in Peru, Illinois

http://registry.faa.gov/N825BA


NTSB Identification: CEN12LA446 
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Sunday, July 15, 2012 in Peru, IL
Probable Cause Approval Date: 11/26/2012
Aircraft: SC IAR SA Brasov IAR 825, registration: N825BA
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.

NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

The pilot reported that the airplane was topped off with fuel before departing on the cross-country flight. He stated that after flying for about two hours the airplane experienced a total loss of engine power while in the traffic pattern at the intended destination. He subsequently made a forced landing into a nearby cornfield because the airplane did not have sufficient altitude to glide to the runway. A postaccident examination revealed that the left wing fuel tank was void of any usable fuel. About 14 gallons of fuel were recovered from the right wing fuel tank during the disassembly and recovery of the wreckage. The supply line to the engine fuel control unit was void of any fuel. The fuel tank selector valve was positioned to draw fuel from both wing tanks. The engine started and ran uneventfully during a brief postaccident operational test run. Additional testing established that the fuel tank selector valve yielded equivalent flow rates in all positions. Although the fuel tank selector valve was found in the setting to draw fuel from both wing tanks following the accident, the loss of engine power was likely due to fuel starvation while operating with the selector valve positioned to the empty left wing tank.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The pilot's improper fuel management, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.


On July 15, 2012, about 1215 central daylight time, a SC IAR SA Brasov model IAR 825 airplane, N825BA, was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a loss of engine power near Peru, Illinois. The airline transport pilot was not injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by Gazelle 175, Inc, under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 without a flight plan. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight. The cross-country flight departed Clark Regional Airport (KJVY), Sellersburg, Indiana, at 1015, and had the intended destination of Illinois Valley Regional Airport (KVYS), Peru, Illinois.

The pilot reported that earlier in the day he flew the turbo-prop airplane, an experimental exhibition-category military trainer, from Johnson City Airport (0A4), Johnson City, Tennessee, to KJVY. He stated that following that flight, which he estimated was 1 hour 30 minutes in duration, the airplane was topped-off with 64 gallons of Jet-A fuel before he departed on the accident flight. He reported that after flying for about 2 hours the airplane experienced a total loss of engine power while in the traffic pattern for runway 36 at the intended destination. He made a forced landing into a nearby corn field because the airplane did not have sufficient altitude to glide to the runway. The right wing was substantially damaged during the forced landing.

The pilot reported that the fuel consumption rate during the accident flight, according to an electronic fuel-flow instrument installed in the cockpit, was approximately 36.5 gallons per hour. He stated that although a majority of the cruise segment was flown at 84-percent engine power while at 5,000 feet mean seal level, various engine power settings and altitudes were used to avoid adverse weather encountered during the flight.

The airplane's total fuel capacity was 95 gallons (89.7 gallons usable), evenly distributed between the right and left wing tanks. A postaccident examination revealed that the left wing fuel tank was void of any usable fuel. Approximately 14 gallons of fuel were recovered from the right wing fuel tank during the disassembly and recovery of the wreckage. The supply line to the engine fuel control unit was void of any fuel. Mechanical continuity was confirmed from the cockpit engine controls to their respective engine components. The fuel tank selector valve was positioned to draw fuel from both wing tanks. The engine, a Walter model M601D(8), serial number 291, started and ran uneventfully during a brief postaccident operational test run. Additional testing established that the fuel tank selector valve yielded equivalent flow rates in all positions.

A handheld global positioning system (GPS) device was found within the wreckage. Although the GPS device did not contain any track data, the device's software flight timer indicated that the last flight segment was 1 hour 47 minutes. If the accident flight duration was 1 hour 47 minutes, the resulting average fuel consumption rate was 42.5 gallons per hour. Comparably, performance data provided by the engine manufacturer indicated that an 86-percent engine power setting would result in a fuel consumption rate of 42.5 gallons per hour. The calculated average fuel consumption rate for the previous flight, from 0A4 to KJVY, was 42.7 gallons per hour. If the accident flight duration was 2 hours, as estimated by the pilot, the calculated average fuel consumption rate was 37.9 gallons per hour.

At 1215 cdt, the airport's automatic weather observing station reported the following weather conditions: wind from 330 degrees at 4 knots, visibility 10 miles, sky clear, temperature 28 degrees Celsius, dew point 21 degrees Celsius, altimeter 30.08 inches of mercury.



NTSB Identification: CEN12LA446
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Sunday, July 15, 2012 in Peru, IL
Aircraft: SC IAR SA Brasov IAR 825, registration: N825BA
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.

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 15, 2012, about 1215 central daylight time (cdt), a SC IAR SA Brasov model IAR 825 airplane, N825BA, was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a loss of engine power near Peru, Illinois. The airline transport pilot was not injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by Gazelle 175, Inc., San Luis Obispo, California, under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight, which was operated without a flight plan. The cross-country flight departed Clark Regional Airport (KJVY), Sellersburg, Indiana, at 1115 eastern daylight time (edt), and was en route to Illinois Valley Regional Airport (KVYS), Peru, Illinois.

The pilot reported that earlier in the day he flew the turbo-prop airplane, an experimental exhibition-category military trainer, from Johnson City Airport (0A4), Johnson City, Tennessee, to KJVY. He reported that the airplane was topped-off with 64 gallons of Jet-A fuel following the flight, which he estimated was 1 hour 30 minutes in duration. The airplane's total fuel capacity was 96 gallons, with approximately 5.3 gallons unusable. The calculated average fuel consumption rate for the previous flight was 42.7 gallons per hour.

The pilot paid for the 64 gallons of fuel at 1055 edt (0955 cdt), according to the timestamp on a receipt obtained from the fixed-base operator that serviced the airplane at KJVY. The pilot reported that he departed KJVY at 1115 edt (1015 cdt) for the cross-country flight to KVYS. He noted that after flying for 2 hours the airplane experienced a total loss of engine power while in the traffic pattern for runway 36 (5,999 feet by 100 feet, asphalt) at KVYS. The airplane did not have sufficient altitude to glide to the runway and an off-airport landing was performed into a corn field. The right wing was substantially damaged during the forced landing.

After the accident the pilot reported that the fuel consumption rate during the accident flight, according to an electronic fuel-flow instrument installed in the cockpit, was approximately 36.5 gallons per hour. The pilot also noted that adverse weather encountered during the accident flight had required multiple climbs and descents at varying power settings.

A postaccident examination revealed the left wing fuel tank was void of any useable fuel. Approximately 14 gallons of fuel were recovered from the right wing fuel tank during disassembly and recovery of the wreckage. The fuel selector was positioned to draw fuel from both wing tanks. Assuming the accident flight was 2 hours in duration, as estimated by the pilot, the resulting average fuel consumption rate was 37.9 gallons per hour. A handheld global positioning system (GPS) device was found within the wreckage. The device did not contain any position track data; however, the software flight timer indicated the flight segment was 1 hour 47 minutes. Assuming the accident flight was 1 hour 47 in duration, the resulting average fuel consumption rate was 42.5 gallons per hours.

At 1215 cdt, the airport's automatic weather observing station reported the following weather conditions: wind from 330 magnetic at 4 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, clear skies, temperature 28 degrees Celsius, dew point 21 degrees Celsius, altimeter 30.08 inches of mercury.

FAA  IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 825BA        Make/Model: EXP       Description: IAR 825
  Date: 07/15/2012     Time: 1709

  Event Type: Incident   Highest Injury: None     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Unknown

LOCATION
  City: PERU   State: IL   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  AIRCRAFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES IN A FIELD, NEAR PERU, IL

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


OTHER DATA
  Activity: Unknown      Phase: Unknown      Operation: OTHER


  FAA FSDO: SPRINGFIELD, IL  (GL19)               Entry date: 07/16/2012 



PERU (WLS) - The pilot of a small plane was uninjured Sunday afternoon when the plane crashed near an airport in Peru, Ill., about 100 miles southwest of Chicago. 

The accident happened sometime between noon and 1 p.m., according to FAA spokesman Tony Molinaro.

The pilot was the only person on the single-engine Brasov IAR823 plane, a small warbird aircraft made in Romania, Molinaro said. The plane was apparently on its way to the Illinois Valley Regional Airport in Peru, he said.

According to the FAA, this plane, whose tail number is N825BA, is owned by Gazelle 175 Inc., of San Luis Obispo, California. It is classified as an experimental plane and was manufactured in 2005.

Molinaro noted that “this time of year you’re going to see” more experimental aircraft across northern Illinois, because of the Experimental Aircraft Association’s annual Fly-In Convention, held in Oshkosh, Wisconsin July 23-29.



PERU, Ill. (AP) — Authorities say a small plane flying from the southern half of the state had to make an emergency landing in a north-central Illinois corn field after reported engine trouble. 

 Peru police Sgt. Ed DeGroot says there were no injuries.

He says the pilot was en route from southern Illinois and passing over the area. DeGroot says the plane landed with no problems Sunday.

Peru police and fire officials, along with Illinois State Police, were called to the scene.