Anderson Aircraft Corp. MA-18 accident near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, May 17, 2000
On May 17, 2000 at about 3:58 pm local time, a Anderson Aircraft Corp. MA-18, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N218MA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was a ferry 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 pilot's improper fuel management which resulted in the loss of power, and his improper flare during the forced landing, which resulted in a hard landing. Factors included a restricted fuel supply due to a design flaw in the header tank/fuel valve/supply line combination, and the pilot's lack of experience in airplane make and model.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 17, 2000 · about 3:58 pm local time
- Place
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Anderson Aircraft Corp. MA-18, amateur-built
- Registration
- N218MA · registry record · serial 2
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was attempting to ferry the airplane for friends, who had just purchased it. During the preflight, he checked the fuel, and drained the gascolater for water, but found none. He performed engine checks, and taxi-tested the airplane on the runway several times. He then took off and flew around the airport, then headed toward his destination. Fifteen minutes into the flight, with fuel coming from the left tank, the engine quit. The pilot switched to the right tank, and nothing happened. He pumped the throttle, and the engine ran for about 10 seconds and quit again. He confirmed that the fuel selector was in the detent, then applied carburetor heat. The engine started momentarily, then quit once more, and the pilot performed a forced landing to a grassy field. Upon touchdown, the left main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane nosed over. During post-accident examination, less than 1 gallon of fuel could be drained from the left fuel tank, and the fuel could not be turned off until all fuel was gone from the left tank. An FAA inspector subsequently ran the engine with fuel supplied from the right tank. He also noted that only one header tank was installed, the fuel valve was close to the floor, and the fuel lines were small. The pilot had less than 1 hour of flight time in make and model
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; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 950 hours in all; 1 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 850 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 500 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Ellwood City PA at 3:10 pm
- Destination: G05 Finleyville PA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 9,000 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:51 pm from PIT, 15 miles away
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.