J Roberts PITTS SPECIAL N3144

Summary

On 15 July 1983 at about 00:50 local time, a J Roberts PITTS SPECIAL registered N3144 was involved in an accident near Grand Haven, Michigan, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

15 July 1983 at 00:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Grand Haven, Michigan, United States

Nearest airport

Grand Haven (3GM)

Coordinates

43.0510, -86.2204

Aircraft

J Roberts PITTS SPECIAL

Registration

N3144

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI83LA312

1 person was seriously injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

AFTER A TOUCH-AND-GO LANDING, THE ACFT WAS CLIMBING THRU APRX 100 FT AGL WHEN THE ENG ABRUPTLY LOST POWER. A STRAIGHT AHEAD LANDING WAS NOT FEASIBLE. WHILE THE PLT WAS MANEUVERING TO LAND, THE ACFT IMPACTED IN A RIGHT WING LOW, NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE FUEL TANK WAS APRX 3/4 FULL WITH A MIXTURE OF ABOUT EQUAL AMOUNTS OF AUTOMOTIVE & AVIATION (100 LL) FUEL. ABOUT 1 OZ OF FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE CARBURETOR BOWL, BUT NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE LINE LEADING FROM THE ENG DRIVEN FUEL PUMP TO THE CARBURETOR. DAMAGE TO THE FIREWALL PREVENTED AN ACCURATE DUPLICATION OF THE FUEL CONTROL TRAVEL LIMITS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PROP CONTROL WAS HARD TO OPERATE, BUT THE PLT SAID THAT IT HAD ALWAYS BEEN THAT WAY. NO OTHER DISCREPANCIES WERE EVIDENT. THE POSSIBILITY OF FUEL BLOCKAGE, BY VAPOR LOCK, COULD NOT BE DISCOUNTED.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.