Accident Overview
On June 29, 2011, about 1430 central daylight time, a Cessna 140, registration N2332V, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing at Burlington Municipal Airport (BUU), Burlington, Wisconsin. The pilot received serious injuries. The airplane was registered to Stick and Rudder LLC and operated by the pilot on a personal flight under 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated from Kenosha Regional Airport (ENW) about 1400.
Sequence of Events
The pilot reported departing ENW and flying to BUU, where he performed a touch-and-go landing on runway 11. During the initial climb from the touch-and-go, about 100 feet above the runway, the engine began to lose power. The pilot determined insufficient runway remained to land on runway 11, entered a left turn, and attempted to land on runway 19, a grass runway. However, the airplane impacted terrain short of the runway, landing hard on the left wheel and then the right wheel, resulting in substantial damage.
Fuel System Examination
A Federal Aviation Administration airworthiness inspector examined the airplane. The fuel selector handle indicated the right fuel tank was selected, but the right tank was full and its gauge indicated full; the left tank was empty and its gauge indicated empty. Examination revealed the fuel selector indicator handle was improperly installed. When the handle was placed on the right tank, fuel was actually coming from the left tank. The pilot reported departing with the fuel selector set to the right tank and not switching tanks during the flight.
Fuel Selector Placard History
The airplane was purchased by a flying club from a private owner who had owned it since 1990. The original fuel placard did not comply with the operations manual but worked. Before selling to the club, the previous owner decided to make a placard identical to the one in the operations manual. He made the placard and provided it to the club's mechanic. However, the mechanic reported he did not install it; the previous owner installed it before purchase. No maintenance logbook record indicated when or who replaced the placard.
Pilot Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with single-engine land and sea ratings, with approximately 4,000 total flight hours, including 10 hours in make and model. His last medical was April 4, 2008, and his last biennial flight review was September 15, 2008. On the NTSB accident report form, he indicated his medical certificate as "Driver's License (Sport Pilot only)." The Cessna 140's maximum gross weight of 1,450 pounds exceeds the light-sport airplane limit of 1,320 pounds.