# Accident 19980621014429A: Amtr BD5, Corvallis, OR, June 21, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 21, 1998, 15:30 local time
- Place: Corvallis, OR
- Airport: Corvallis Municipal
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 44.6308° N, 123.2697° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=44.6308&lon=-123.2697&mi=10
- Aircraft: N50TX, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N50TX-2002-11-27) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Nolley Mell B BD-5 (registry code 056027V, https://openairdocs.org/model/nolley-mell-b-bd-5) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Amateur-built UNKNOWN ENG (registry code 99999, https://openairdocs.org/engine/amateur-built-unknown-eng) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AMTR BD5
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 775 total, 2 in this make and model, 19 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB SEA98FA109](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA98FA109) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980621014429A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ENGINE QUIT SHALLOW LEFT TURN. UNABLE RESTART. LANDED IN TALL GRASS FIELD. A WING CAUGHT ON GRASS. FLIPPED OVER. (-23) ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE WAS IN A SHALLOW BANKED LEFT TURN WHEN THE ENGINE SUDDENLY QUIT. HE TRIED SEVERAL TIMES TO RESTART THE ENGINE, BUT WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL.  HE THEREFORE ELECTED TO MAKE A FORCED LANDING IN A NEARBY FIELD IN WHICH TALL GRASS WAS GROWING.  THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED OWN IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION, BUT ONE WING CAUGHT IN THE TALL GRASS AND THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED UPSIDE DOWN.  (.4) DURING THE ASSEMBLY OF THE HOME-BUILT AIRCRAFT, ITS WET-WING FUEL TANKS WERE SLOSHED WITH A SEALER (RANDOLPH #802) THAT IS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH ALCOHOL FUEL ADDITIVES. DURING THE AIRCRAFT'S THREE WEEK ENGINE TEST RUN AND TEST FLIGHT SEQUENCE, JET-A FUEL CONTAINING AN ETHANOL FUEL ADDITIVE (PRIST) WAS IN ITS FUEL TANKS. THIS RESULTED IN THE SLOSHING COMPOUND DEBONDING FROM THE FUEL TANK WALLS AND PARTIALLY BLOCKING AN IN-LINE FUEL FILTER. BECAUSE OF THIS BLOCKAGE, APPROXIMATELY 25 MINUTES INTO THE FOURTH TEST FLIGHT, THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER. DURING THE SUBSEQUENT FORCED LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT NOSED OVER WHEN ONE OF ITS WINGS BECAME ENTANGLED IN TALL VEGETATION . DURING THE INVESTIGATION IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE OWNER/BUILDER, THE TEST PILOT, REPRESENTATIVES OF THE COMPANY THAT HELPED MATE THE ENGINE TO THE AIRFRAME, AND THE SUPPLIER OF THE ENGINE/PROPELLER/GEARBOX ASSEMBLY, ALL OF WHOM WERE PRESENT FOR THE GROUND RUN AND TEST FLIGHT SEQUENCE ON THAT DAY, WERE NOT AWARE THAT AN ALCOHOL FUEL ADDITIVE MAY BE PRESENT IN SOME JET-A FUEL AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE.

## 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 SEA98FA109](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA98FA109), Jun 21, 1998: Nolley BD-5T (N50TX), Corvallis, OR, substantial damage. Probable cause: The introduction of a fuel containing an ethanol additive into fuel tanks sloshed/sealed with a compound incompatible with alcohols, resulting in debonding of the compound from the fuel tank walls,…

## Other reports on N50TX (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Accident 20020831023269A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020831023269A), Aug 31, 2002: Amtr BD5 (N50TX), Corvallis, OR, Substantial damage. (-23) Pilot lost power in traffic pattern, could not make runway, unable to arrest descent rate, made hard landing with wings level, struck in open plowed…

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.

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