Luscombe Silvaire S-LSA-8C N599LS

Summary

On 21 May 2010 at about 23:15 local time, a Luscombe Silvaire S-LSA-8C registered N599LS, operated by Luscombe Silvaire Aircraft Company Inc., was involved in an accident near Bakersfield, California, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

21 May 2010 at 23:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Bakersfield, California, United States

Coordinates

35.4003, -118.9061

Aircraft

Luscombe Silvaire S-LSA-8C

Registration

N599LS

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Luscombe Silvaire Aircraft Company Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Riverside → Columbia

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR10LA252

2 people were seriously injured.

The pilot's continued operation of the airplane with known mechanical deficiencies, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot departed for a cross-country flight with full fuel in the left and right fuel tanks and with the left fuel tank selected. However, during the flight the pilot was unable to change from the almost empty left fuel tank to the full right fuel tank. When the engine began to lose power due to fuel starvation, the pilot decided to land in a field to troubleshoot the fuel selector issue. A witness, who saw the airplane land and spoke with the pilot, said that the pilot reported a problem with the fuel selector valve. The witness saw the pilot working on the airplane, and then the pilot and passenger stated that they were going to fly to a nearby airport to complete repairs. According to the passenger, they examined the fuel valve and found that the set screw had fallen out. He thought that they set the fuel selector to the right fuel tank before attempting the flight for further repairs. However, about 10 seconds after takeoff the engine started to lose power again. The pilot attempted to turn back to land in the field again, but the airplane pitched down in a left turn and impacted the ground. Postaccident examination of the fuel selector valve and assembly revealed that the fuel selector valve shaft was sheared off, disconnecting the handle from the valve, and that the fuel valve was positioned to draw fuel from the left fuel tank. The airplane total time at the accident site was 1.82 hours. A logbook entry dated the day of the accident documented the issuance of a Special Airworthiness Certificate and Operating Limitations that day. Photographs taken during the issuance of the Special Airworthiness Certificate and Operating Limitations and those taken after the accident (as well as a note on the pilot’s kneeboard), indicated that the airspeed indicator color arcs were not marked as required.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.