# Accident 19990417003679A: Amtr RANSS12, El Cajon, CA, April 17, 1999

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 17, 1999, 08:43 local time
- Place: El Cajon, CA
- Airport: Gillespie Field Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 32.7899° N, 116.9593° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.7899&lon=-116.9593&mi=10
- Aircraft: N8179V, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N8179V-1999-08-17) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Ventura Alejandro RANS S-12 (registry code 05606RV, https://openairdocs.org/model/ventura-alejandro-rans-s-12) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AMTR RANSS12
- Reported engine: ROTAX ROTAX582
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 211 total, 82 in this make and model
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX99LA153](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX99LA153) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990417003679A

## Narrative

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

ACFT LOST POWER SHORTLY AFTER TAKE-OFF, THE PILOT ATTEMPTED A LEFT TURN BACK TO THE ARPT, AND THE ACFT LOST CONTROL AND CRASHED, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (.4)ALL AIRPLANE SYSTEMS FUNCTIONED NORMALLY UPON TAKEOFF.  DURING INITIAL CLIMB, BETWEEN 200 AND 300 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL, ALL ENGINE POWER WAS LOST.  UNABLE TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT, THE PILOT MADE A FORCED LANDING IN A NEARBY PARKING LOT.  DURING ROLLOUT THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH A POLE.  AN EXAMINATION OF THE 2-STROKE, 2-CYLINDER BOMBADIER ROTAX ENGINE REVEALED ONE OF THE TWO CYLINDERS WAS SCORED AND EXHIBITED SIGNATURES CONSISTENT WITH OVERHEATING.  THE CYLINDER APPEARED TO HAVE EXPERIENCED AN INSUFFICIENT FLOW OF THE FUEL-OIL MIXTURE.  THE CARBURETOR CONNECTED TO THIS CYLINDER ASSEMBLY WAS FOUND DEVOID OF FUEL.  FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE SECOND CARBURETOR, WHICH WAS CONNECTED TO THE SECOND CYLINDER ASSEMBLY.  NO OBSTRUCTIONS WERE NOTED IN ANY OF THE FUEL LINES, CARBURETORS, OR THE MIKUNI KOGYO ENGINE DRIVEN DUAL FUEL PUMP.  NO EVIDENCE REGARDING THE APPARENT INTERRUPTION OF FUEL TO THE REAR CARBURETOR WAS FOUND.                                                                                                           (-23)ON 4/17/1999, A RAN S-12 EXPERIMENTAL-HOMEBUILT CRASHED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO RETURN TO THE RUNWAY WITH NO ENGINE POWER. THE AIRCRAFT HAD JUST TAKEN OFF FROM RWY 27L AT GILLESPIE FIELD (SEE).  A PILOT WHO OBSERVED THE ACCIDENT FROM THE RUNUP AREA OF THE SAME RUNWAY STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS APPROXIMATELY 100 AGL WHEN IT STALLED AND CRASHED INTO THE PARKING LOT OF THE METRO TROLLEY STATION JST WEST OF THE RUNWAY AT EL CAJON.  THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED AND THE PASSENGER WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL WITH REPORTED LOWER BACK PAIN.  THE ENGINE A ROTAX MODEL 582, 2-STROKE, 2-CYLINDER, S/N 4016051 HAD 130.6 HOURS OF OPERATION PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT.  THE ONLY MECHANICAL ANOMALY NOTED THAT COULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE POWER LOSS ON THE EGINE WAS SCORING THE REAR CYLINDER AND PISTON ASSEMBLY.  IT IS BELIEVED THAT THE REAR CARBURETOR THAT FEEDS THE FUEL/OIL AIR MIXTURE TO THE REAR CYLINDER HAD AN INTERRUPTION IN FUEL FLOW THAT CAUSED THE REAR CYLINDER TO VERHEAT, THEREBY CAUSING THE CYLINDER TO LOOSE COMPRESSION (50% OF THE TOTAL AVAILABLE POWER).

## 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 LAX99LA153](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX99LA153), Apr 17, 1999: Ventura Rans S-12 (N8179V), El Cajon, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: Engine power loss due to an interruption of fuel to or within a carburetor, and the resultant overheating of its associated cylinder. The reason for the fuel flow interruption could not be determined.

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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