Bowers FLY BABY N1878
29 June 2003 · Altus, Arkansas, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 29 June 2003 at about 23:24 local time, a Bowers FLY BABY registered N1878 was involved in an accident near Altus, Arkansas, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 23:24
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Altus, Arkansas, United States
- Coordinates
- 35.4402, -93.7599
- Aircraft
- Bowers FLY BABY
- Registration
- N1878
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Altus → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CHI03LA189
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
A loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. Factors associated with the accident were the tree and evasive maneuver performed during the forced landing.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The airplane contacted the terrain during a forced landing following a loss of engine power during an initial takeoff climb. The pilot reported having 13 gallons of fuel prior to takeoff. He reported the preflight, engine start, engine run-up, and takeoff were normal. The pilot reported that upon reaching an altitude of 150 feet, the engine lost power. He stated, "It then surged and began to run again. It did this three times then quit. I reached for the primer to see if I could pump enough fuel to stay airborne. The engine surged again when I used the primer then quit again." The pilot attempted to land in an open field and the left wing contacted the ground when he turned to avoid a tree. The fuselage broke in half during the impact and the fuel tank ruptured. The pilot stated, "Also there was no indication of any internal malfunction, shaking or backfiring of the engine. The engine shut down very smoothly but at a very inappropriate time." Inspection of the engine failed to reveal any failure/malfunction.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Bowers FLY accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Mar 1984 | Bowers FLY BABY 1A | New Bern, North Carolina, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 29 Apr 1979 | Bowers Fly | N Little Rock, Arkansas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 4 Jun 1970 | Bowers FLY BY | Laporte, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Jul 2003 | Cessna A188B | McGehee, Arkansas, United States | Alan Buford | No injuries | - |
| 28 Sep 2003 | Cessna 150L | Siloam Springs, Arkansas, United States | Plane Krazy Aviation | No injuries | - |
| 21 Mar 2003 | Cessna 182S | Fayetteville, Arkansas, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 16 Jul 2003 | Mikoyan MIG-15BIS | Little Rock, Arkansas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 21 Aug 2003 | Bell TH-13T | Light, Arkansas, United States | Songer, Harvey | Serious injuries | - |
| 19 Aug 2003 | Ayres S2R-T660 | Blytheville, Arkansas, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |