Introduction
On May 21, 2010, about 1615 Pacific daylight time, a Luscombe Silvaire Aircraft Company S-LSA-8C Special Light Sport Aircraft, registration N599LS, crashed during takeoff in a field near Bakersfield, California. The owner/pilot, a certificated private pilot, was operating under 14 CFR Part 91. The pilot and one passenger sustained serious injuries; the airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and tail section. The cross-country personal flight had departed Riverside, California, about 1400 with a planned destination of Columbia, California. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.
Sequence of Events
According to the pilot's written statement, while en route using the left fuel tank, he had difficulty with the fuel selector valve and the engine experienced a loss of power due to apparent fuel starvation. He landed in a field to investigate. Witnesses saw the airplane land and spoke with the pilot, who said he had a problem with the fuel selector switch. They observed the pilot working under the dashboard; afterward, the pilot and passenger stated they planned to take off and fly to a nearby airport.
Witnesses heard the engine start and then stop. The engine restarted, and they watched the airplane take off. Almost immediately after takeoff, the engine sounded like it lost power. The airplane was observed turning back toward the departure point and appeared to stall and come straight down.
The passenger, interviewed by police, stated the airplane had just been certified and was being flown to Columbia for the Luscombe Fly-in. The airplane had departed Riverside with full fuel in both wing tanks, each holding 15 gallons. About one hour into the flight, the engine started losing power, and the pilot was unable to switch fuel tanks. The pilot made a precautionary landing to troubleshoot the fuel selector valve. After landing safely, he determined the fuel valve selector had come loose and attempted to switch from the empty left tank to the full right tank. Believing he had successfully switched to the right tank, they decided to fly to a nearby airport for further repairs. The engine started and appeared to function properly. The passenger did not observe any run-up or magneto check before takeoff. About 10 seconds after takeoff, the engine lost power. The pilot turned back toward the departure point, and the airplane descended in a nose-down, left turn until impact.
Post-Accident Findings
At the accident site, a notepad was recovered with two handwritten entries: “Mag switch not working properly” and “Red Yellow Green Arcs.” The FAA accident coordinator examined the fuel selector valve and assembly, noting the fuel selector valve shaft was sheared off. The valve was configured to draw fuel from the left fuel tank.
The airplane, a Special Light Sport Aircraft with serial number SLS-003, had a special flight permit and operating limitations for flight test issued on May 20, 2009. The operator reported a total airframe time of 0.5 hours at the last inspection, dated May 21, 2009. At the accident site, the engine tachometer read 0001.82 hours. A logbook entry dated May 21, 2009, listed issuance of a Special Airworthiness Certificate and Operating Limitations by a Designated Airworthiness Representative (DAR).
Photographs taken by the DAR before the accident showed the airspeed color arcs were missing. Post-accident photographs of the airspeed indicator also showed missing color arcs. Certification for Special Light Sport Aircraft under ASTM Standards F-2245 requires airspeed indicator range markings.