On January 16, 1992, a Cessna 140 (registration N1976N) operated by Martin, S. & Campbell, J. was involved in an aviation accident near Columbia, SC. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The investigation identified mechanical issues with the carburetor float and noted that neither pilot had prior experience flying the aircraft type. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A Cessna 140 crashed after veering sharply to the left and entering a nose-down attitude at approximately 300 feet AGL.
What happened
Shortly after lift-off, while at an altitude of approximately 300 feet AGL, the Cessna 140 veered sharply to the left and the nose dropped. The aircraft maintained a left turn in a nose-down attitude until it impacted the ground. At the time of the accident, the estimated fuel on board was approximately 5 gallons. The aircraft has a total fuel capacity of 25 gallons, and the operation manual specifies that takeoff should not be performed with less than 1/4 tank.
The investigation
An examination of the carburetor identified an impact mark on the float that matched the fuel jet located at the bottom of the carburetor. Subsequent tests demonstrated that when fuel is present in the carburetor, the float does not make contact with the fuel jet. Additionally, a review of the pilot's logbook and the logbook of the ATP certified pilot in the right seat showed no record of previous experience operating a Cessna 140.
Probable cause
The investigation identified mechanical issues with the carburetor float and noted that neither pilot had prior experience flying the aircraft type.