NTSB Factual Report

On January 26, 2006, about 1200 eastern standard time, a Globe GC-1B airplane, N3292K, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing, about 3 miles west of the North Palm Beach County General Aviation Airport, West Palm Beach, Florida. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The solo private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated about 1100, from the North Palm Beach County General Aviation Airport.

During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on February 2, the pilot reported that during the initial descent to the North Palm Beach County General Aviation Airport, as the airplane descended to about 1,000 msl, all engine power was lost. The pilot said that after performing engine emergency procedures, he was unable to restore engine power, and he selected a grass-covered field as a forced landing site. During the forced landing, the left main gear wheel struck a culvert, and the left main landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage.

The airplane was equipped with a Lycoming O-360-A1A engine.

The airplane's maximum fuel capacity is reported to be 55.6 gallons, with 52 gallons of usable fuel. The unusable fuel is about 3.6 gallons, or 1.8 gallons per side. The fuel tanks were not breached during the accident. Salvage crews reported to the NTSB IIC that about 5 gallons of fuel was drained from the accident airplane before it was moved from the accident site. The airplane's carburetor float bowl was damaged during the impact, and contained no fuel.

NTSB Probable Cause

A loss of engine power during descent due to an undetermined reason, which resulted in an off-airport forced landing and collision with a culvert.