Amateur-built SUPER CAT accident near Cherryville, Pennsylvania, September 6, 1993
On September 6, 1993 at about 11:00 pm local time, a amateur-built SUPER CAT, registered N531SC, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cherryville, Pennsylvania. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE MOVEMENT OF A THUMBSCREW ON THE FUEL FILTER SYSTEM WHICH RESULTED IN FUEL FLOW BLOCKAGE AND SUBSEQUENT PARTIAL POWER LOSS. A FACTOR IN THIS ACCIDENT WAS THE LACK OF SUITABLE TERRAIN FOR THE EMERGENCY LANDING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 6, 1993 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Cherryville, Pennsylvania · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built SUPER CAT
- Registration
- N531SC · no longer on the register · serial AH131651SC
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING TAKE-OFF CLIMB, AT ABOUT 150 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE LOST PARTIAL POWER. THE AIRPLANE DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH AIRSPEED OR ALTITUDE TO LAND AT THE DEPARTED AIR FIELD, AND THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH POWER TO SUSTAIN FLIGHT. DURING THE DESCENT, THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH TREES. POST ACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT AN EXTERNALLY MOUNTED IN-LINE FUEL FILTER, MANUFACTURED BY PUROLATOR, PART NUMBER PRO-804, WAS RESTRICTING FUEL FLOW. FURTHER EXAMINATION OF THE FUEL FILTER REVEALED THAT THE FUEL FILTER'S ELEMENT RETENTION THUMBSCREW HAD LOOSENED AND ROTATED DOWN COVERING ABOUT 80 PERCENT OF THE FUEL INLET OPENINGS.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 77 hours in all; 1 in this make and model; 1 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 6 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 28, 1993; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 735 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 503 DCDI (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 240° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:50 pm from ABE
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.