Anderson MA-18 N218MA

Summary

On 17 May 2000 at about 15:58 local time, a Anderson MA-18 registered N218MA, operated by Stephen Waltrowski, was involved in an accident near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

17 May 2000 at 15:58

Classification

Accident

Location

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States

Coordinates

40.3998, -80.0105

Aircraft

Anderson MA-18

Registration

N218MA

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Stephen Waltrowski

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Ferry

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Ellwood City → Finleyville

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC00LA137

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's improper fuel management which resulted in the loss of power, and his improper flare during the forced landing, which resulted in a hard landing. Factors included a restricted fuel supply due to a design flaw in the header tank/fuel valve/supply line combination, and the pilot's lack of experience in airplane make and model.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was attempting to ferry the airplane for friends, who had just purchased it. During the preflight, he checked the fuel, and drained the gascolater for water, but found none. He performed engine checks, and taxi-tested the airplane on the runway several times. He then took off and flew around the airport, then headed toward his destination. Fifteen minutes into the flight, with fuel coming from the left tank, the engine quit. The pilot switched to the right tank, and nothing happened. He pumped the throttle, and the engine ran for about 10 seconds and quit again. He confirmed that the fuel selector was in the detent, then applied carburetor heat. The engine started momentarily, then quit once more, and the pilot performed a forced landing to a grassy field. Upon touchdown, the left main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane nosed over. During post-accident examination, less than 1 gallon of fuel could be drained from the left fuel tank, and the fuel could not be turned off until all fuel was gone from the left tank. An FAA inspector subsequently ran the engine with fuel supplied from the right tank. He also noted that only one header tank was installed, the fuel valve was close to the floor, and the fuel lines were small. The pilot had less than 1 hour of flight time in make and model

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.