Aeronca 0-58B accident near Kennewick, Washington, April 28, 2005
On April 28, 2005, a Aeronca 0-58B, registered N8023R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kennewick, Washington. 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Loss of engine power for undetermined reasons, which resulted in a forced landing and subsequent nose over. A factor was the unsuitable terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 28, 2005
- Place
- Kennewick, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aeronca 0-58B · all 0-58Bs on the register
- Registration
- N8023R · no longer on the register · serial 058B5352
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane lost engine power and collided with terrain during the forced landing. According to the pilot, after purchasing the airplane and being briefed on the fuel system, he departed on the first leg of the transcontinental flight. The fuel system was comprised of a 10 gallon overhead center tank which fed directly into a 2 gallon header tank. Also incorporated into the system was a 10 gallon right wing tank whose fuel line teed into the center tank's line. A shutoff valve was incorporated in the "T" which would allow both tanks to feed the header tank simultaneously. Procedures called to use half of the fuel in the center tank before opening a shutoff valve. On the first leg of the flight the pilot flew 45 minutes before opening the shutoff valve. After landing approximately 35 minutes later he instructed the fueling attendant to fill both the center and wing tanks so he could judge the consumption of fuel from each tank. After fueling was completed the attendant advised the pilot that he had put 8.5 gallons of fuel in the center tank, and that the wing tank was full. The pilot commented that this wasn't right, but voiced no further concerns and departed on the next leg of the flight, a distance of about 90 nautical miles. About one hour into the flight the pilot opened the wing tank shut off valve, and when he was about an hour and 30 or 40 minutes into the flight while descending he encountered a "surge" in the engine. The pilot added carburetor heat with no success, and when the engine quit completely he elected to land in a wheat field. After touching down and impacting a plow rut the airplane nosed over and came to rest on its back in an inverted position, resulting in substantial damage to the airplane's vertical stabilizer. The pilot stated that he felt the reason for the engine failure was due to fuel exhaustion as a result of fuel being vented from the wing tank, which resulted in fuel from the center tank being sucked into and replacing the fuel in the wing tank. Further examination by the FAA failed to reveal any fuel present at the accident site. It was also noted that the installation of the wing tank was a modification of the airplane, which required a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC). A search by the FAA failed to reveal an STC for this aircraft relative to the right wing tank installation. The inspector also supervised an engine test run with no anomalies noted. The reason for the reported loss of engine power could not be determined.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 1,300 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C65 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DLS The Dalles OR at 10:30 pm
- Destination: S98 Kennewick WA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 15 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 10,600 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.85 inHg
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 SEA05LA089.