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20130728020099A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Phelps Rex Dale KITFOX III · Oshkosh, WI · July 28, 2013

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 28, 2013 · 11:50 local
Place
Oshkosh, WI
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N873RX
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN13FA440
Reported as
Phelps Rex Dale Kitfox III
Reported engine
ROTAX 912
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
N873RXRegistered now · Phelps Rex Dale KITFOX IIIS/N 873Airframe modelPhelps Rex Dale KITFOX IIIEngine modelBombardier ROTAX (ALL)Reciprocating

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.

While on the arrival into the Oshkosh airport the pilot noticed the engine started to run rough and quit shortly there after. The pilot immediately tried two unsuccessful restarts while selecting an emergency landing site. The pilot landed the Kitfox in a field located near fisk avenue in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. During the landing the aircraft received substantial damage buckling the main landing gear, shearing off the propeller blades and bending the fuselage in several areas.

During the accident investigation the inspectors discovered that the fuel hose from the left tank to the fuel shut off valve had a kinked area that restricted the fuel flow to the feeder tank. This caused the fuel starvation that led to the engine failure. The fuel line during normal operation was routed in such a way that there was a greater than ninety degree bend in it which led to the kink/collapse of the fuel hose and eventually closing off the fuel supply from the wing fuel tank to the feeder tank located behind the pilot and passenger seats.

As the FAA filed it

WHILE ON THE ARRIVAL INTO THE OSHKOSH AIRPORT THE PILOT NOTICED THE ENGINE STARTED TO RUN ROUGH AND QUIT SHORTLY THERE AFTER. THE PILOT IMMEDIATELY TRIED TWO UNSUCCESSFUL RESTARTS WHILE SELECTING AN EMERGENCY LANDING SITE. THE PILOT LANDED THE KITFOX IN A FIELD LOCATED NEAR FISK AVENUE IN OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN. DURING THE LANDING THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE BUCKLING THE MAIN LANDING GEAR, SHEARING OFF THE PROPELLER BLADES AND BENDING THE FUSELAGE IN SEVERAL AREAS.

DURING THE ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION THE INSPECTORS DISCOVERED THAT THE FUEL HOSE FROM THE LEFT TANK TO THE FUEL SHUT OFF VALVE HAD A KINKED AREA THAT RESTRICTED THE FUEL FLOW TO THE FEEDER TANK. THIS CAUSED THE FUEL STARVATION THAT LED TO THE ENGINE FAILURE. THE FUEL LINE DURING NORMAL OPERATION WAS ROUTED IN SUCH A WAY THAT THERE WAS A GREATER THAN NINETY DEGREE BEND IN IT WHICH LED TO THE KINK/COLLAPSE OF THE FUEL HOSE AND EVENTUALLY CLOSING OFF THE FUEL SUPPLY FROM THE WING FUEL TANK TO THE FEEDER TANK LOCATED BEHIND THE PILOT AND PASSENGER SEATS.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CEN13FA440Accident · No injuriesField investigationFinal reportOshkosh, WIThe degraded fuel line, which prevented fuel from the left tank from reaching the header tank and resulted in the loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.Jul 28, 2013 · Substantial damage