Gribosh LONG-EZ N814EZ

Summary

On 9 February 1988 at about 15:15 local time, a Gribosh LONG-EZ registered N814EZ was involved in an accident near Perkasie, Pennsylvania, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

9 February 1988 at 15:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Perkasie, Pennsylvania, United States

Nearest airport

Pennridge (N70)

Coordinates

40.3706, -75.2903

Aircraft

Gribosh LONG-EZ

Registration

N814EZ

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC88DHA02

1 person died.

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

THE HOMEBUILT AIRPLANE WAS BEING OPERATED ON ITS SECOND TEST FLIGHT AFTER MANUFACTURE. WITNESSES STATED THAT THEY HEARD THE ENGINE 'MAKING POWER CHANGES' AND 'SURGING' WHILE THE AIRPLANE WAS MANEUVERING AT 30 TO 50 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. ALSO, THEY REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE BANKED SHARPLY TO THE LEFT AND FELL TO THE GROUND. A POST-ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE LEFT FUEL TANK CONTAINED ONLY TRACES OF FUEL, WHILE THE RIGHT TANK HELD AN ESTIMATED 8 TO 9 GALLONS. THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS DISCOVERED TO BE 'JAMMED' IN A POSITION BETWEEN THE LEFT & RIGHT DETENTS; INVESTIGATORS WERE ABLE TO LOOSEN THE SELECTOR, BUT IT REQUIRED 'EXCESSIVE FORCE AND TWO HANDS.' THE PILOT WAS FOUND ABOUT 9 FEET FROM THE WRECKAGE; BOTH THE SEAT BELT AND SHOULDER HARNESS WERE UNBUCKLED. INVESTIGATORS NOTED THAT THE PILOT COULD NOT REACH THE FUEL SELECTOR WITH THE SHOULDER HARNESS SECURED. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL FAILURE/MALFUNCTION OF THE ENGINE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.