Pitcher W-8 accident near Mineral, VA
On May 20, 1995, a Pitcher W-8 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Mineral, VA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- May 20, 1995
- Place
- Mineral, VA
- Aircraft
- Pitcher W-8 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 38.000°N, 77.900°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001207X03538
NTSB summary
On May 20, 1995, at 1257 eastern daylight time, a Pitcher, W-8, N13PE, a homebuilt, experimental airplane, was destroyed during a forced landing after takeoff from the Holly Grove Airport (80-VA), Mineral, Virginia. The private pilot was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, for the personal flight that originated at 80-VA. No flight plan had been filed for the flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. In the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Inspector's report, he stated that witnesses observed the airplane takeoff and lose power during the initial climb. The airplane then turned left and nosed into the ground. The report stated that the engine was removed from the wreckage, and washed prior to examination. The engine examination revealed compression on all cylinders. The top four spark plugs were of the same type and within wear limits. The lower four spark plugs were of three different types. Two were of the same kind with fine wire electrodes, and two were dissimilar with "massive electrodes." Both magnetos were tested and produced spark from each lead. The engine rotated without binding and valve train continuity was confirmed. The report also stated that examination of the carburetor revealed the throttle butterfly and accelerator pump were "working properly." The airplane was not equipped with a cockpit mixture control, and the mixture on the carburetor was safety wired in the full rich position. The carburetor bowl was absent of fuel. The engine was not equipped with a mechanical fuel pump; however, an electric fuel pump was mounted on the ai
Probable cause
an electrical system problem that resulted in a blown (failed) fuze and an inoperative electric fuel pump, which in turn resulted in fuel starvation and loss of engine power; and failure of the pilot to maintain adequate airspeed which resulted in an inadvertent stall.
More accidents in VA
- Boeing 757-200, Sep 11, 2001
- Beech B99, Sep 23, 1985
- Beech 65, Sep 10, 1995
- Beech 200, Oct 24, 2004
- Piper PA-31-310, Nov 14, 1982
Browse: Virginia
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
