Sunday, October 16, 2016

Piper PA-18-150 Super Cub, N9473D: Accident occurred October 15, 2016 near Jasper County Airport (KJAS), Texas

The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident.

Additional Participating Entity:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Houston, Texas

Aviation Accident Factual Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf

http://registry.faa.gov/N9473D

NTSB Identification: CEN17LA018
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, October 15, 2016 in Jasper, TX
Aircraft: PIPER PA 18-150, registration: N9473D
Injuries: 1 Minor.

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

On October 15, 2016, about 1430 central daylight time, a Piper PA 18-150 airplane, N9473D, conducted a forced landing near Jasper, Texas. The private rated pilot received minor injuries and the airplane was substantially damaged during the accident. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private individual under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time.

The pilot reported the flight had just departed from the Jasper County Airport (KJAS), Jasper, Texas. After reaching an altitude of about 1,000 ft, the engine starting "missing." He switched fuel tanks and pumped the throttle; the engine continued to run, but was not making power. Unable to maintain altitude, he turned back towards the airport. Realizing he would not clear trees, he selected an area for the forced landing. The airplane came to rest with in a slight right wing down, nose low attitude among several trees. 

Substantial damage was noted to the airplane's fuselage and wings. Fuel was present on site. 

The airplane was recovered and transported to a salvage facility, where an examination was conducted by the NTSB Investigator in Charge and an FAA inspector. 

A review of aircraft records revealed the last annual inspection was completed on August 31, 2016. At the time of the inspection, the engine had accrued 44.87 hours since a top overhaul. The aircraft's tachometer had accumulated 1.49 hours, since the last annual inspection. 

Examination of the airplane noted that the wood under the battery box, located in the aft section of the airplane, appeared rotted. The engine's muffler had hole(s) rusted through it; exhaust signatures on the inside of the muffler shroud and cabin heat duct, were consistent with exhaust gas leakage. Welding on the muffler-exhaust pipe appeared to have holes in and around the weld. When the engine was rotated by hand, thumb compression and suction was noted on each cylinder; engine continuity was also established through the valve train and engine. The intake and exhaust rocker arms were removed from each cylinder; two of the four cylinders had the exhaust rocker arm on the intake valve, and/or the intake rocker on the exhaust valve. Both left and right magnetos were removed and produced a spark at each terminal when rotated by hand. The carburetor inlet screen was removed and the carburetor separated. The carburetor bowl and screen were clear of any debris and contamination, the bowl contained a small amount of liquid; light blue in color, consistent with 100LL avgas. Both wing fuel tank gas caps were an aftermarket type, and were absent an FAA-PMA marking; additionally, the fuel caps appeared to be a 'non-vented' type. Air was blown into the fuel lines near the fuselage/wing root, both left and right fuel lines were clear to the gascolator.

At 1415, the automated weather station at KJAS recorded; temperature 92.5 degrees F, and a dew point of 69.6 degrees F, 10-mile visibility, wind from 170 degrees at 7 knots, and altimeter setting of 30.06.

The carburetor icing probability chart included in Federal Aviation Administration Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin No. CE-09-35, Carburetor Icing Prevention, indicated that the airplane was operating in an area that was associated with a risk of carburetor ice formation, at glide and cruise power settings.


The examination did not find a specific reason for the loss of engine power. 

NTSB Identification: CEN17LA018
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, October 15, 2016 in Jasper, TX
Aircraft: PIPER PA 18-150, registration: N9473D
Injuries: 1 Minor.

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

On October 15, 2016, about 1400 central daylight time, a Piper PA18-150 airplane, N9473D, conducted a forced landing near Jasper, Texas. The private rated pilot received minor injuries and the airplane was substantially damaged during the accident. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private individual under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time. 

The pilot reported to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector that the flight had just departed from the Jasper County Airport (KJAS). After reaching about 1,000 ft, the engine lost power. He was unable to restore full engine power and maintain altitude, so he selected an area for the forced landing. The airplane impacted trees, coming to rest with slight right wing down, nose low attitude, among several trees. 

Substantial damage was noted to the airplane's fuselage and wings. Fuel was present on site. 

The airplane was retained for further examination.









A Jasper pilot had non-life threatening injuries following a Saturday afternoon plane crash. It happened at about 2:00 in a wooded area a few miles north of Jasper, west of Highway 96 north.

The pilot, 76-year-old Dr. Gerald V. Cammack, was participating in the Annual Ghost Run Air Race at Jasper County Airport in his Piper PA-18-150 Super Cub aircraft, and had just departed on a north-northeast heading. Cammack said he was at an altitude of about 1,000 feet when he began losing horsepower. Cammack said he played with the throttle and very briefly regained power, but the power went away again and he began losing altitude.

Cammack said he had a decision of going down in a stand of pine trees that stood about 50 feet tall, or a group of younger pine trees that were about 15 feet tall, so he chose the shorter trees.

The decision probably saved his life.

The aircraft was apparently cushioned by the smaller trees, and came to a stop with the nose down and the tail partially up.

Cammack and others said that the aircraft had just been topped off with fuel. Although the wings were damaged, thankfully, the fuel tanks didn't rupture and no fire resulted from the incident.

According to Cammack, he immediately crawled out of the crashed plane and waited for help.

KJAS owner Mike Lout was also participating in the race. He said that he had just landed his plane when others at the airport told him about the crash, so he and other pilots immediately went back into the air and began searching for the downed aircraft.

Lout used radio direction skills to home in a signal from the emergency beacon in Cammack's airplane, and located the wreckage about 5 miles north of Jasper within 15 minutes.

Lout then directed local aviator Quincy Martindale, along with Jasper County Emergency Corps President Billy Williford and other emergency personnel to the scene of the crash.

Cammack was transported by Acadian EMS to Christus Jasper Memorial Hospital where he was, at last word, still undergoing treatment.

The cause of the crash will be investigated by federal aviation authorities.

Source:  http://www.kjas.com

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