Amateur-built Glastar accident near Summersville, West Virginia, October 19, 2005
On October 19, 2005 at about 6:30 pm local time, a amateur-built Glastar, registered N722W, was substantially damaged in an accident near Summersville, West Virginia. 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
a loss of engine power due to a stuck carburetor float needle.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 19, 2005 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Summersville, West Virginia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Glastar
- Registration
- N722W · registry record · serial 5207
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The experimental homebuilt airplane was in cruise flight at 7,500 feet when the engine lost power. The pilot navigated toward the nearest airport by GPS, which was 16 miles away. The pilot found he could restore partial power by continuously pumping the primer handle. Upon reaching the airport, the engine stopped producing power when the pilot reached for the flap handle. The airplane was "high and fast" and touched down at the midpoint of the 3,000-foot runway, then overran the departure end. Examination of the engine, ignition and the fuel system revealed no mechanical deficiencies. Disassembly of the carburetor by an FAA inspector revealed a stuck float needle in its seat, that was freed during disassembly. No other discrepancies with the carburetor were found.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 700 hours in all; 44 in this make and model; 46 in the last 90 days; 37 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SPA Spartanburg SC
- Destination: 8G6 Cadiz OH
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number NYC06CA012.
