Plane Crash Reports 2003

2003 Plane Crash Report Result

Title: OMEBUILT COZY, N238CZ, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT IMPACTED

Report Date: 12/18

Plane Crash Problem: On December 2, 2003, at 0830 eastern standard time, a homebuilt Cozy, N238CZ, was substantially damaged when it impacted several residences during a forced landing, following a loss of power while on approach to the Long Island Mac Arthur Airport (ISP), Islip, New York. The certificated private pilot received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal local flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. According to the pilot, he performed a preflight inspection on the airplane during which he determined there was about 15 gallons of fuel in both the right and left fuel tank. He sumped the tanks and determined there was no water or contamination. He selected the right tank for takeoff, and departed from ISP about 0730, flying east toward Montauk, New York. The pilot stated that as he flew over the Gabreski Airport (about 24 miles from ISP), he switched to the left fuel tank, and as he passed the Hampton Airport (39 miles from ISP), he decided to turn around and fly back to ISP. Approximately 20 miles from ISP, the pilot began a descent and selected the right fuel tank. At this time he believed that the right fuel tank had 15 gallons of fuel remaining, and the left tank had 12 gallons of fuel. At an altitude of 1,500 feet, the pilot reduced the throttle and was cleared to land on runway 33L at ISP. Realizing the wind was from 290 degrees, he requested and was given clearance to land on runway 28. While still descending, the pilot turned on the fuel boost pump, noticed a slight engine vibration, and then turned the boost pump off. The pilot increased the throttle; however, he did not observe an increase in the engine RPMs. He increased the throttle further to the full forward position, and again noticed no reaction from the engine. The pilot then prepared for a forced landing to a road, during which he impacted two homes. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed approximately 15 gallons of fuel in the right tank, and 2 gallons of fuel in the left tank. A sample of the fuel contained no water or contamination. The fuel selector was observed in the "off" position. The spark plugs were removed from the engine and the number 1 and number 3 plugs were coated in oil. The number 2 and number 4 plugs were light gray in color. The engine was test run on the airframe, using the original fuel system. The engine started without hesitation and ran continuously through a variety of power settings, for approximately 15 minutes. The pilot reported that the airplane was last fueled on September 20, 2003 to full tanks. Since then, he has flown one flight on November 29, 2003, which was approximately 25 minutes in duration. He also performed about 80 minutes of ground runs prior to the accident flight. The pilot stated that the airplane's fuel burn rate is about 8 gallons per hour. He additionally stated that he had accumulated about 340 hours of total flight experience, 125 of which were in the accident airplane.

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