20000609040749A

(.4) On June 9, 2000, about 1851 eastern daylight time, an experimental certificated siai-marchetti SF260TP, N43GP, was substantially damaged after it experienced a loss of engine power while landing at the Norfolk International Airport (orf), Norfolk, Virginia. The certificated commercial pilot/owner received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local personal flight conducted under 14 CFR part 91. The pilot stated that prior to being refueled, 14 gallons of fuel was contained in the airplane's fuel tanks. The airplane was then refueled with 25 gallons of jet-a fuel. At departure, both wing tanks were full and the wing tip tanks held about 7 gallons in each tank. The pilot flew locally for about 30 minutes, and then returned to the airport to perform a full-stop landing on runway 23. On the downwind leg of the traffic pattern, the pilot reduced the power and noticed what he thought was a "compressor surge." He set the power at 20% N1, extended 25 degrees of flaps, and turned onto the base leg of the traffic pattern. The pilot noticed the low fuel pressure warning light illuminate for several seconds and then go out. He then turned onto the final approach leg of the traffic pattern, and observed the low-pressure warning light illuminate a second time, and then it went out again. The pilot assured the fuel selector was in the "normal" position and confirmed the position of all switches and circuit breakers were "normal." The low fuel pressure light came on a third time, and remained illuminated for the duration of the light. The pilot then switched the fuel selector from the "normal" to the "emergency" position. After several seconds, the pilot noticed "three or four discernable compressor surges and the engine flamed out." The time duration between the first surge to the flameout was about 10 seconds. At the time of the flameout, the pilot observed an altimeter indication of 600 feet. He then retracted the flaps and slowed the airplane to 90 knots. He attempted to restart the engine twice, with the fuel selector set on "emergency" for at least the first attempt. At 150 feet above the ground, the pilot extended the landing gear and then the flaps. He flared about 30 feet above the ground to climb over a "seawall", and the airplane impacted the ground at or close to a "fully stalled condition." The airplane bounced back into the air and when it came back down, the left wing hit the ground first, followed by the nose. The airplane came to rest upright, about 900 feet short of the runway. The pilot turned off all switches, moved the fuel selector to "off", and exited the airplane. (-23) on June 09, 2000, at Norfolk International Airport (orf), Norfolk, Virginia, while approaching to land on runway 23, the pilot got a low fuel pressure warning light. Several seconds later the engine had several compressor surges, then the engine flamed out. Post accident investigation of the airframe fuel system showed fuel flowed normally except when the transfer fuel pump needed to be tapped upon to get the pump to initially operate. The engine was sent to the engine manufacturer to be test run and then a teardown performed.