Taylorcraft L2A N51372
11 August 1997 · Shelbyville, Indiana, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 11 August 1997 at about 19:15 local time, a Taylorcraft L2A registered N51372 was involved in an accident near Shelbyville, Indiana, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 19:15
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Shelbyville, Indiana, United States
- Nearest airport
- Shelbyville Municipal (3SM)
- Coordinates
- 39.5198, -85.7701
- Aircraft
- Taylorcraft L2A
- Registration
- N51372
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Unknown → Tara Field
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CHI97LA255
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
the inadequate preflight by the pilot and the loose fuel line fitting.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot was conducting a ferry flight of the airplane since it had not received an annual maintenance inspection since November 15, 1994. Shortly after takeoff, he detected a fuel odor and returned to inspect the airplane. No fuel leaks were detected. Five minutes after the second takeoff, he felt drops of fuel falling from an area near the right wing overhead fuel line. Fuel appeared to be leaking into the cockpit around the fabric patch surrounding the main fuel inlet line. During the base-to-final turn, a large quantity of fuel poured into the cockpit. The pilot made a short field landing and turned off the magnetos and shut off the fuel control handle during landing rollout. He exited the airplane and tried to push the airplane off the runway. The fuel ignited and the airplane was engulfed in flames within seconds. An examination of the fuel system revealed that the right wing fuel tank's fuel line located at the forward inboard area was completely disconnected. The fuel line incorporated a flare type fitting that appeared to have come unscrewed from its receptacle.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Jul 1997 | Niquette PIETENPOL GN-1 | Lake Village, Indiana, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 27 Jul 1997 | Piper PA-28R-200 | Auburn, Indiana, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 27 Mar 1997 | Stinson 108 | Greenfield, Indiana, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 22 Aug 1997 | Schweizer SGS 1-26E | Zionsville, Indiana, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 12 Jul 1997 | Cessna 150F | Gary, Indiana, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 26 Aug 1997 | Kellums SONERAI 1 | Scottsburg, Indiana, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |