What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Lost vacuum pump en route. Elected continue destination. Two pumps NR1 blocked by gasket. Hole in manifold. (-23) aircraft departed flying cloud airport, eden prairie, MN (kfcm) enroute to davenport, IA. Pilot was employed by midway oil co. aircraft owned by president of midway oil co. pilot had offloaded company personnel prior to departure from kfcm. Pilot reported loss of vacuum pump to ARTCC while enroute. He was offered options for nearby airports, elected to continue to destination, advising of instrument problems and requesting expanded airspace options. Aircraft had been modified with STC for secondary vacuum source. ARTCC observed radar return showing "s-turns" increasing in amplitude with altitude relatively constant, followed by altitude loss at approximately 400'/minute. A rapid altitude loss followed and no response from the pilot to radio communication attempts by ARTCC. Ntap data obtained and provided to NTSB. The aircraft impacted the ground in a relatively wings level attitude at a high rate of speed while in a descent angle of approximately 15 to 20 degrees. The landing gear was retracted at impact. A fire occurred at impa CT as the aircraft wings and other components separated from the fuselage. The pilot was ejected from the aircraft through the cockpit windshield and sustained severe fatal injuries. Aircraft log books and airworthiness certificate were found in the wreckage. Unable to locate pilot log books. Examination of wreckage revealed that secondary vacuum source was blocked by gasket and hole in manifold not aligned with tubing.
As the FAA filed it
LOST VACUUM PUMP EN ROUTE. ELECTED CONTINUE DESTINATION. TWO PUMPS NR1 BLOCKED BY GASKET. HOLE IN MANIFOLD. (-23) AIRCRAFT DEPARTED FLYING CLOUD AIRPORT, EDEN PRAIRIE, MN (KFCM) ENROUTE TO DAVENPORT, IA. PILOT WAS EMPLOYED BY MIDWAY OIL CO. AIRCRAFT OWNED BY PRESIDENT OF MIDWAY OIL CO. PILOT HAD OFFLOADED COMPANY PERSONNEL PRIOR TO DEPARTURE FROM KFCM. PILOT REPORTED LOSS OF VACUUM PUMP TO ARTCC WHILE ENROUTE. HE WAS OFFERED OPTIONS FOR NEARBY AIRPORTS, ELECTED TO CONTINUE TO DESTINATION, ADVISING OF INSTRUMENT PROBLEMS AND REQUESTING EXPANDED AIRSPACE OPTIONS. AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN MODIFIED WITH STC FOR SECONDARY VACUUM SOURCE. ARTCC OBSERVED RADAR RETURN SHOWING "S-TURNS" INCREASING IN AMPLITUDE WITH ALTITUDE RELATIVELY CONSTANT, FOLLOWED BY ALTITUDE LOSS AT APPROXIMATELY 400'/MINUTE. A RAPID ALTITUDE LOSS FOLLOWED AND NO RESPONSE FROM THE PILOT TO RADIO COMMUNICATION ATTEMPTS BY ARTCC. NTAP DATA OBTAINED AND PROVIDED TO NTSB. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A RELATIVELY WINGS LEVEL ATTITUDE AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED WHILE IN A DESCENT ANGLE OF APPROXIMATELY 15 TO 20 DEGREES. THE LANDING GEAR WAS RETRACTED AT IMPACT. A FIRE OCCURRED AT IMPA CT AS THE AIRCRAFT WINGS AND OTHER COMPONENTS SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE. THE PILOT WAS EJECTED FROM THE AIRCRAFT THROUGH THE COCKPIT WINDSHIELD AND SUSTAINED SEVERE FATAL INJURIES. AIRCRAFT LOG BOOKS AND AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE WERE FOUND IN THE WRECKAGE. UNABLE TO LOCATE PILOT LOG BOOKS. EXAMINATION OF WRECKAGE REVEALED THAT SECONDARY VACUUM SOURCE WAS BLOCKED BY GASKET AND HOLE IN MANIFOLD NOT ALIGNED WITH TUBING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.