# Accident 20011110037559A: Amtr ZENITHCH801, Manvel, TX, November 10, 2001 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: November 10, 2001, 14:00 local time - Place: Manvel, TX - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 29.4808° N, 95.3492° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.4808&lon=-95.3492&mi=10 - Aircraft: N54RX, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N54RX-2019-09-06) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Terry Rex ZENITH CH 801 (registry code 0561175, https://openairdocs.org/model/terry-rex-zenith-ch-801) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Continental O-470R (registry code 17071, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-o-470r) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: AMTR ZENITHCH801 - Reported engine: CONT O470* - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 275 total, 6 in this make and model, 8 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW02LA035](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW02LA035) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20011110037559A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19) ON NOVEMBER 10, 2001, AT 1400 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A TERRY ZENITH 801 AMATEUR BUILT AIRPLANE, N54RX, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER NEAR MANVEL, TEXAS. THE EXPERIMENTAL AIRPLANE WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT. THE PRIVATE PILOT, SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE CLOVER FIELD AIRPORT, PEARLAND, TEXAS, APPROXIMATELY 1250. PRELIMINARY INFORMATION INDICATES THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS WEST OF ROSHARON, TEXAS, AT 1,500 FEET MSL WHEN THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THE PILOT SWITCH FUEL TANKS AND RESTARTED THE ENGINE. THE PILOT THEN CONTINUED THE FLIGHT TOWARD THE WOLFE AIR PARK AIRPORT (3T2) LOCATED 2 MILES NORTHEAST OF MANVEL, TEXAS. PRIOR TO REACHING 3T2, THE ENGINE ONCE AGAIN LOST POWER. THE PILOT INITIATED A FORCED LANDING TO HIGHWAY 6 SOUTH OF MANVEL. DUE TO TRAFFIC, THE PILOT HAD TO DELAYED THE LANDING, WHICH RESULTED IN THE AIRPLANE CONTINUING UNDER POWER LINES. AS THE AIRPLANE WENT UNDER THE POWER LINES, THE NOSE LANDING GEAR IMPACTED THE HIGHWAY. THE NOSELANDING GEAR COLLAPSED, AND THE AIRPLANE CAME TO A STOP UPRIGHT. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE, BY THE FAA INSPECTOR WHO RESPONDED TO THE ACCIDENT SITE, REVEALED THAT THE FIREWALL WAS BUCKLED, THE NOSE LANDING GEAR WAS FOLDED UNDER THE AIRPLANE, AND ONE PROPELLER BLADE WAS BENT AFT. (-23) ENGINE LOST POWER WHILE IN FLIGHT. AIRMAN SWITCHED FUEL TANKS AND ENGINE RESTARTED THEN LOST POWER AGAIN. WHILE ON FINAL TO A HEAVILY TRAVELED HIGHWAY PILOT REALIZED THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO GO UNDER POWERLINES WHICH WERE APPROXIMATELY 16 TO 20 FEET OFF THE GROUND. AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE GROUND HARD DOING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE NOSE GEAR, FIREWALL, AND FUSELAGE. (.4) THE AMATEUR-BUILT AIRPLANE WAS AT 1,500 FEET MSL AND MANEUVERING AT A SLOW AIRSPEED FOR 7-8 MINUTES WHEN THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THE PILOT SWITCHED FUEL TANKS, RESTARTED THE ENGINE, AND CONTINUED THE FLIGHT TOWARD A NEARBY AIRPORT. PRIOR TO REACHING THE AIRPORT, THE ENGINE AGAIN LOST POWER. THE PILOT INITIATED A FORCED LANDING TO A HIGHWAY. DUE TO TRAFFIC ON THE HIGHWAY, THE PILOT HAD TO DELAYED THE LANDING, WHICH RESULTED IN THE AIRPLANE CONTINUING TOWARDS POWER LINES. AS THE PILOT "QUICKLY LANDED THE AIRPLANE," TH E NOSE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED, AND THE AIRPLANE CAME TO A STOP UPRIGHT ON THE HIGHWAY. DURING AN EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE, 3 INCHES OF FUEL WAS FOUND IN BOTH OF THE FUEL TANKS, AND OVER 15 GALLONS OF FUEL WAS DRAINED. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION OF THE FUEL SYSTEM, NO BLOCKAGES WERE FOUND IN THE FUEL LINES, AND THE GASCOLATOR WAS CLEAN. THE PILOT SUSPECTED THAT A VACUUM WAS CREATED IN BOTH OF THE FUEL TANKS SINCE THERE WERE NO FUEL TANK VENTS, EXCEPT FOR THE VENTS IN THE FUEL CAPS. THE AIRPLANE HAD ACCUMULATED 5 HOURS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. ## 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 FTW02LA035](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW02LA035), Nov 10, 2001: Terry Zenith 801 (N54RX), Manvel, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: loss of engine power while maneuvering for an undetermined reason. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing. 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.