WHILE EN ROUTE, THE ENG BEGAN SURGING. ALL INSTRUMENTS HAD NORMAL INDICATIONS, EXCEPT THE MANIFOLD PRESSURE & TACHOMETER WERE VARYING AS THE ENG SURGED. THE ACFT BEGAN LOSING ALT, SO THE PLT ELECTED TO LAND ON A HIGHWAY. HE LANDED IN FRONT OF SEVERAL CARS, BUT WAS UNABLE TO STOP BEFORE CLOSING ON ANOTHER VEHICLE THAT HAD SLOWED DOWN AHEAD. HE TURNED OFF THE HIGHWAY TO AVOID THE VEHICLE & WENT THRU A DITCH & HIT A CHAIN LINK FENCE. WATER WAS FOUND IN THE FUEL SYS. AN EXAM OF THE FUEL TANKS REVEALED THERE WERE RIDGES IN THE BOTTOM OF THE TANKS. THE FUEL CELLS WERE REMOVED & EVIDENCE WAS FOUND THAT THE RIDGES WERE ABOUT 1/8 INCH IN HEIGHT. THE FUEL CELL BLADDERS WERE ORIGINALLY INSTALLED AT THE TIME THE ACFT WAS MANUFACTURED IN 1959.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:

Contributing Factors

OBJECT..VEHICLE

Contributing Factors

OBJECT..FENCE

Contributing Factors

TERRAIN CONDITION..DITCH

Index for Jun1983 | Index of months