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CHI90DEI01

1990-07-02 · ASHLAND, Ohio, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport 3G4

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO ADEQUATELY PREFLIGHT THE AIRPLANE PRIOR TO TAKEOFF. RESULTING IN A FUEL LEAK GOING UNDETECTED.

Factual narrative

THE PILOT REPORTED PRIOR TO TAKEOFF THE FUEL QUANTITY WAS VISUALLY CHECKED AND FOUND TO BE 30 GALLONS. FIFTEEN STOP AND GO LANDINGS WERE PERFORMED AFTER WHICH A BREAK WAS TAKEN. UPON RESUMING THE FLIGHT, THE PILOT REPORTED THE FUEL QUANTITY GAUGE INDICATED 2 NEEDLE WIDTHS BELOW FULL. DURING THE SECOND STOP AND GO LANDING AFTER THE BREAK, THE ENGINE LOST POWER DURING THE TURN FROM BASE TO FINAL. A FORCED LANDING WAS MADE IN A WHEAT FIELD 705 FT SHORT OF THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY AND THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER. POST ACCIDENT INSPECTION REVEALED NO FUEL IN EITHER WING FUEL TANK. EVIDENCE OF FUEL LEAKAGE WAS NOTED AROUND THE FUEL STRAINER. AFTER THE ACCIDENT, 2 GALLONS OF FUEL WERE ADDED TO THE FUEL TANKS AND THE FUEL GAUGE INDICATED 2 NEEDLE WIDTHS BELOW FULL. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1990_CHI90DEI01.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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