# Accident 19970711018219A: Amtr STEENSKYBOLT, Brazoria, TX, July 11, 1997 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: July 11, 1997, 19:00 local time - Place: Brazoria, TX - Airport: Eagle Air Park - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Missed Approach IFR - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 29.0399° N, 95.5599° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.0399&lon=-95.5599&mi=10 - Aircraft: N773HD, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N773HD) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Bronner STEEN SKYBOLT (registry code 0565565, https://openairdocs.org/model/bronner-steen-skybolt) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming IO-540 series (registry code 41530, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-540-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: AMTR STEENSKYBOLT - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 980 total, 150 in this make and model, 30 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW97LA263](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW97LA263) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970711018219A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. LOST POWER AND CRASH LANDED. FUEL TANKS WERE EMPTY. PILOT REPORTED FUEL LEAK. LANDED DUE FIRE THREAT. (.4)THE SKYBOLT EXPERIMENTAL AIRPLANE WAS FLYING EAST OF THE AIRPORT WHEN THE 'ENGINE STARTED MISSING.' THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED DOWNWIND FOR RUNWAY 11 AT THE EAGLE AIR PARK AIRPORT. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT WHILE ON CROSSWIND, ABOUT 12 MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF, HE SMELLED 'RAW FUEL, LOOKED DOWN ON FLOOR BOARD, AND SAW FUEL.' THE FUEL PRESSURE WHICH WAS NORMALLY 30 PSI, BEGAN TO FLUCTUATE 'RADICALLY,' AND THE ENGINE 'CUT OUT.' THE PILOT TURNED ON THE ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP, AND THE ENGINE 'CAME BACK UP TO POWER.' AFTER TURNING FINAL, THE ENGINE STARTED 'CUTTING IN AND OUT, THE FUEL PRESSURE COULD NOT BE KEPT UP,' AND THE ENGINE LOST POWER. UNABLE TO REACH A SUITABLE AREA, THE PILOT LANDED THE AIRPLANE IN TREES; THE AIRPLANE THEN 'HIT THE GROUND FLAT.' PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT, THE PILOT FUELED THE AIRPLANE WITH 15 GALLONS OF 100 OCTANE LOW LEAD AVIATION FUEL. AN FAA INSPECTOR'S EXAMINATION OF THE FUEL SYSTEM REVEALED NO APPARENT SIGNS OF RUPTURE OR LACK OF INTEGRITY, AND THERE WAS NO FUEL IN THE FUEL TANK. AFTER THE AIRPLANE WAS MOVED ANOTHER FAA INSPECTOR PUMPED THE WOBBLE PUMP AND COULD SMELL FUEL. THE PILOT/OWNER FOUND THAT ONE OF THE HOSES THAT WAS CONNECTED TO THE WOBBLE PUMP, WHICH WAS LOCATED UNDER THE PILOT'S SEAT, HAD BEEN LEAKING FUEL AT ITS CLAMP. FUEL STAINS WERE FOUND ON THE FABRIC AFT OF THE WOBBLE PUMP. (-23) ON JULY 11, 1997, AT 1845 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A BRONNER STEEN SKYBOLT AIRPLANE, N773HD, REGISTERED AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT, ON A PLEASURE FLIGHT, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER NEAR BRAZORIA, TEXAS. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE WRECKAGE REVEALED THAT THE AIRPLANE FUEL SYSTEM WAS INTACT AND THERE WAS NO FUEL IN ITS FUEL TANK. WITNESSES REPORTED THAT WHEN THEY ARRIVED AT THE CRASH SITE THERE WAS NO SMELL OF FUEL. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF A FUEL SPILL. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB FTW97LA263](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW97LA263), Jul 12, 1997: Bronner Steen Skybolt (N773HD), Brazoria, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: a fuel leak at a wobble pump fuel hose clamp, which resulted in loss of fuel and fuel exhaustion. A related factor was the lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing. ## Other reports on N773HD (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 19910608031829A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19910608031829A), Jun 8, 1991: Amtrsn SKYBOLT (N773HD), Alvin, TX, Substantial damage. Struck the ground while making low pass over airport. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.