# Accident 20140710014589A: Pekola James W RIDGE RUNNER III, Andrews, NC, July 10, 2014

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 10, 2014, 11:30 local time
- Place: Andrews, NC
- Airport: Andrews-Murphy
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 35.1869° N, 83.8764° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.1869&lon=-83.8764&mi=10
- Aircraft: N39ZT, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N39ZT) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Pekola James W RIDGE RUNNER III (registry code 05617NT, https://openairdocs.org/model/pekola-james-w-ridge-runner-iii) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Amateur-built UNKNOWN ENG (registry code 99999, https://openairdocs.org/engine/amateur-built-unknown-eng) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PEKOLA JAMES W RIDGE RUNNER III
- Reported engine: AMA/EXPR JABIRU
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 500 total, 83 in this make and model, 20 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA14CA349](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA14CA349) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20140710014589A

## Narrative

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

ON JULY 10, 2014, AT APPROXIMATELY 1130 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A RIDGE RUNNER III AIRCRAFT, N39ZT, SERIAL NUMBER 02030388, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A FORCED LANDING, FOLLOWING A REPORTED ENGINE FAILURE. LOSS OF ENGINE POWER WAS EXPERIENCED DURING TAKE-OFF CLIMB PHASE OF FLIGHT AT AN ALTITUDE OF 200 FEET. THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS IN A FIELD LOCATED APPROXIMATELY .5 MILES FROM THE END OF RUNWAY 26L AT ANDREWS MURPHY AIRPORT (KRHP), IN ANDREWS, NORTH CAROLINA. THE SOLE OCCUPANT,^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, WAS NOT INJURED.

THE 2004, AMATEUR-BUILT, EXPERIMENTAL CATEGORY AIRPLANE WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 AS A PERSONAL FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE INTENDED LOCAL FLIGHT.

REVIEW OF THE ON-SCENE AIRCRAFT PICTURES RESULTED IN THE INCIDENT BEING RE-CLASSIFIED AS AN ACCIDENT BASED ON THE EXTENT OF DAMAGE SUSTAINED. DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT INCLUDED: ALL 3 LANDING GEAR SHEARED FROM THE AIRFRAME, PROPELLER BLADE SHEARED, FORWARD FUSELAGE FRAME TUBING SHEARED AND PUNCTURED FLIGHT COMPARTMENT FLOOR SKIN, RIGHT WING TWIST STRUCTURAL DAMAGE (SPAR / RIBS) AND FLIGHT COMPARTMENT ? WING STRUCTURAL CARRY THROUGH FRAME BENT.  THE SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE ASSESSMENT WAS MET WITH CONCURRENCE OF THE NTSB IIC. PICTURES OF THE AIRCRAFT AT THE ACCIDENT SCENE DEPICT BOTH THE LEFT AND RIGHT WING SELECTOR VALVES IN THE CLOSED POSITION, WHILE THE COLLECTOR TANK MAIN FUEL SELECTOR VALVE WAS IN THE OPEN POSITION. AIRCRAFT PICTURES ILLUSTRATE BLUE FUEL STAINING FROM THE WING FUEL CAPS WHERE THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST IN A DITCH IN A NEAR VERTICAL ORIENTATION.

## 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 ERA14CA349](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA14CA349), Jul 10, 2014: Pekola James W Ridge Runner III (N39ZT), Andrews, NC, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to open the fuel tank valves during the preflight examination of the airplane, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.

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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