Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Orlando, Florida
Aviation Accident Final Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf
Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board: https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms
Aviation Accident Data Summary - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf
http://registry.faa.gov/N5787L
Location: Port Orange, FL
Accident Number: GAA18CA343
Date & Time: 05/24/2018, 1620 EDT
Registration: N5787L
Aircraft: AMERICAN AA
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event:
Injuries: 1 Serious
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal
Analysis
The pilot reported that, shortly after departure, about 1,000 ft above ground level, the engine lost total power. While searching for an off-airport landing spot, he made a right turn toward the airport, positioned the fuel selector knob toward the second tank, and attempted to restart the engine. The engine restarted briefly but then lost power. He attempted to restart the engine again after he repositioned the fuel selector back to the original tank, but the engine did not start. He conducted a forced landing in a field with trees and heavy vegetation 2 miles west of the airport.
The pilot added that he "should have made a positive determination of fuel on board prior to takeoff."
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage.
Postaccident examination by the Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed no distinctive fuel odor at the accident site, and only a cup of fuel was recovered from both tanks.
Probable Cause and Findings
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection of the fuel, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and a subsequent total loss of engine power.
Findings
Aircraft
Fuel - Fluid level (Cause)
Personnel issues
Preflight inspection - Pilot (Cause)
Environmental issues
Tree(s) - Contributed to outcome
Factual Information
History of Flight
Initial climb
Fuel exhaustion
Landing
Off-field or emergency landing
Initial climb
Loss of engine power (total)
Attempted remediation/recovery
Pilot Information
Certificate: Airline Transport; Flight Instructor; Commercial
Age: 71, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Multi-engine Land; Multi-engine Sea; Single-engine Land
Seat Occupied: Left
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used: Lap Only
Instrument Rating(s): Airplane
Second Pilot Present: No
Instructor Rating(s): Airplane Multi-engine; Airplane Single-engine; Instrument Airplane
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Class 2 With Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 05/23/2018
Occupational Pilot: Yes
Last Flight Review or Equivalent: 05/18/2018
Flight Time: (Estimated) 26000 hours (Total, all aircraft), 600 hours (Total, this make and model), 23000 hours (Pilot In Command, all aircraft), 40 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft), 12 hours (Last 30 days, all aircraft)
Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information
Aircraft Make: AMERICAN
Registration: N5787L
Model/Series: AA 1
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 1969
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Normal; Utility
Serial Number: AA1-0187
Landing Gear Type: Tricycle
Seats: 2
Date/Type of Last Inspection: 05/23/2018, Annual
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 1500 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection:
Engines: 1 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time: 2665.7 Hours as of last inspection
Engine Manufacturer: Lycoming
ELT: C91 installed, not activated
Engine Model/Series: O-290-D2
Registered Owner: On file
Rated Power: 135 hp
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None
Meteorological Information and Flight Plan
Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: KDAB, 41 ft msl
Distance from Accident Site: 7 Nautical Miles
Observation Time: 1953 UTC
Direction from Accident Site: 16°
Lowest Cloud Condition: Few / 3200 ft agl
Visibility: 10 Miles
Lowest Ceiling:
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: 10 knots /
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual: None / None
Wind Direction: 80°
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual: N/A / N/A
Altimeter Setting: 30.05 inches Hg
Temperature/Dew Point: 29°C / 21°C
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: Daytona Beach, FL (7FL6)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: Daytona Beach, FL (7FL6)
Type of Clearance: None
Departure Time: 1600 EDT
Type of Airspace: Class G
Airport Information
Airport: SPRUCE CREEK (7FL6)
Runway Surface Type: Unknown
Airport Elevation: 24 ft
Runway Surface Condition: Vegetation
Runway Used: N/A
IFR Approach: None
Runway Length/Width:
VFR Approach/Landing: Forced Landing
Wreckage and Impact Information
Crew Injuries: 1 Serious
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 Serious
Latitude, Longitude: 29.074167, -81.083333 (est)
VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. - For the second time this week, a small plane went down near the Spruce Creek Fly-In community, officials from the Volusia County Sheriff's Office said Thursday afternoon.
Deputies referred to the incident as a crash, but said it appears the pilot was forced to make an emergency landing. The plane went down in the woods about 50 feet from a resident's yard near State Road 415 at 4:20 p.m. Thursday.
That location is in the Spruce Creek Farms subdivision, which is about half a mile from the Spruce Creek Fly-In community.
“You couldn't see anything because the plane went down in the timber and there’s a field before it," said Karen Rieman, who, along with a neighbor, watched as the red plane come down.
The plane came very close to the back of a home, just yards away from a swimming pool, Rieman said.
Pilot Arthur Taxman, 71, was the only person on board the plane, deputies said. He suffered a minor head injury in the crash but he is not a trauma patient. He was taken to Halifax Health Medical Center to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
Deputies said Taxman made an emergency landing after experiencing a mechanical failure.
“(He’s) super-lucky,” said Frank Vitale, who lives nearby. “The odds of someone living in a plane crash is very low.”
On Tuesday night, a Cessna 140 crashed about four miles away. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University said student Nandish Patel, 22, died in the crash and instructor Chase Zinn, 23, was seriously injured.
“(It’s) pretty ironic, especially (considering the crashes were in) such close proximity of each other,” Vitale said.
When contacted about the incident Thursday, Embry-Riddle officials said they had no information to provide.
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating both incidents.
Story and video ➤ https://www.clickorlando.com
A single-engine plane enroute to Spruce Creek Fly-In crashed Thursday afternoon in some woods west of Port Orange, making it the second plane crash in two days within 3 miles of each other.
The pilot, 71-year-old Arthur Taxman, was the sole occupant and suffered minor injuries, said Laura Williams, Volusia County sheriff’s spokeswoman.
The plane crashed at 4:20 p.m. about 50 feet from a home at 2160 Spruce Creek Circle West, located in the Spruce Creek Farms subdivision. The aircraft was about a mile from the Spruce Creek Airport runway.
Taxman was transported to a local hospital for minor injuries, Williams said.
On Tuesday night, a passenger was killed in nearby Spruce Creek Fly-In and the pilot critically injured after a single-engine plane crashed after takeoff.
Thursday’s crash occurred in a wooded area behind a home on a cul-de-sac. A portion of the tail could be seen poking out of some trees, but the woods hid most of the aircraft from the driveway. The property owners declined to speak to The News-Journal. Deputies remained on the scene into the evening.
The Tuesday night crash in the Fly-In killed the passenger of a two-seat Cessna 140, 22-year-old Nandish Patel of Titusville. Patel was a student at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach. The pilot, Chase Zinn, 23, of Pennsylvania, was hospitalized with critical injuries, a federal investigator said.
And on April 4, an ERAU plane crashed in Daytona Beach after its wing fell off in mid-air. That crash killed Zack Capra, a 25-year-old Navy veteran taking his commercial pilot license test, and Federal Aviation Administration pilot examiner John S. Azma, a father of four.
Original article ➤ http://www.news-journalonline.com
VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — A plane reportedly went down Thursday afternoon near Spruce Creek Farms, about a half a mile from the Spruce Creek Fly-in community, officials with the Volusia County Sheriff's Office said.
The pilot, Arthur Taxman, 71, experienced a mechanical failure and was able to land in Spruce Creek Farms, officials said. He suffered a minor head injury and was able to get out of the plane on his own, according to the Sheriff's Office.
The plane went down 50 feet behind a home, officials said.
Taxman was transported to Halifax Health Medical Center with injuries not considered life-threatening.
Story and video ➤ http://www.wesh.com
Is spruce creek cursed? It's like a mini burmuda triangle. Many accidents in the last 18 months.
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