20080220013799I

Incident · Destroyed

FAA incident report · Amtr CHALLENGER II · Reform, AL · February 20, 2008

Date: February 20, 2008 · 09:30 local
Place: Reform, AL
Airport: North Pickens
Phase of flight: Other Ground Ops
Operating rules: Ultralight vehicle (Part 103)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N239RC
Reported as: Amtr Challengerii
Reported engine: ROTAX ROTAX582
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 52 total52 in this make and model52 in the last 90 days

N239RCRegistration cancelled Mar 7, 2013 · Calhoun Wesley R CHALLENGER IIS/N CH2-0306-2722 · Built 2007 Airframe modelCalhoun Wesley R CHALLENGER II Engine modelRotax 582SER2 cycle

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) On February 20, 2008, at 0930 eastern daylight time, an owner of an ultralight airplane was refueling his airplane when static electricity ignited the fuel and the airplane was completely destroyed. The owner's right hand received 3rd degree burns and his clothes and face had minor burns. The owner stated that he pushed the airplane out of the hangar onto a concrete slab to be refueled. He inserted a Mr. Funnel into the plane's ten gallon plastic fuel tank. He started fueling the airplane from a 500 gallon metal fuel tank that had a regular service station type hose and nozzle assembly. He pumped about 7 tenths of a gallon of fuel when he noticed an orange dot inside the funnel. He threw the hose away and got out from under the airplane's wing. He ran 30 feet and closed the hangar door, fearing the gasoline would explode. He ran back to the airplane and pushed it away from the hangar and onto the runway, where it collapsed in less than 3 minutes.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON FEBRUARY 20, 2008, AT 0930 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, AN OWNER OF AN ULTRALIGHT AIRPLANE WAS REFUELING HIS AIRPLANE WHEN STATIC ELECTRICITY IGNITED THE FUEL AND THE AIRPLANE WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. THE OWNER'S RIGHT HAND RECEIVED 3RD DEGREE BURNS AND HIS CLOTHES AND FACE HAD MINOR BURNS. THE OWNER STATED THAT HE PUSHED THE AIRPLANE OUT OF THE HANGAR ONTO A CONCRETE SLAB TO BE REFUELED. HE INSERTED A MR. FUNNEL INTO THE PLANE'S TEN GALLON PLASTIC FUEL TANK. HE STARTED FUELING THE AIRPLANE FROM A 500 GALLON METAL FUEL TANK THAT HAD A REGULAR SERVICE STATION TYPE HOSE AND NOZZLE ASSEMBLY. HE PUMPED ABOUT 7 TENTHS OF A GALLON OF FUEL WHEN HE NOTICED AN ORANGE DOT INSIDE THE FUNNEL. HE THREW THE HOSE AWAY AND GOT OUT FROM UNDER THE AIRPLANE'S WING. HE RAN 30 FEET AND CLOSED THE HANGAR DOOR, FEARING THE GASOLINE WOULD EXPLODE. HE RAN BACK TO THE AIRPLANE AND PUSHED IT AWAY FROM THE HANGAR AND ONTO THE RUNWAY, WHERE IT COLLAPSED IN LESS THAN 3 MINUTES.