N38BS is a Piper PA-18-150. It is a fixed-wing single-engine aircraft with 2 seats, powered by a Lycoming 0-320 series rated at 180 horsepower. The registration is active, with the registrant based in Winter Haven, FL. Its standard airworthiness certificate was issued in Feb 1967. It has been registered to its current owner since Sep 2022. This page also carries 1 NTSB event.
2022
1967
That's everything on file so far — TailWiki checks the FAA registry daily and adds new entries as N38BS's record changes.
During an instructional flight, the flight instructor and pilot receiving instruction took off from a lake and began a normal climb. At a height of about 200 to 300 feet, the engine began losing power, and the flight instructor assumed control of the airplane. As the instructor maneuvered the airplane away from marine traffic, the engine lost power completely. The airplane contacted the water hard, resulting in substantial damage to the left wing strut and fuselage.
Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the fuel selector was not in the right fuel tank detent. The examination otherwise revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the engine or fuel system that would have precluded normal operation. The engine was later started and test run normally with the right fuel tank selected, and when the valve was positioned slightly out of the right fuel tank detent, the engine began losing power within about 30 seconds. Given this information, it is likely that the pilot inadvertently moved the fuel selector in a position that restricted fuel flow to the engine, which resulted in the loss of engine power during takeoff.
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About the Piper PA-18-150
About the modelThe Super Cub — a two-seat tandem taildragger developed from the J-3 with far more power. A backcountry, bush and glider-towing aircraft, prized for short-field performance.