What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On June 7, 2020 at 1514 eastern daylight time (EDT), an experimental aircraft manufactured by Steffler, christopher j. according to an FAA database and identified in an e-mail from the NTSB as a team 1600R (also known as a minimax) made an emergency landing right after takeoff from a no longer used airstrip located at an rv park near Marshall, Michigan. The aircraft registration number is N827WS. FAA databases indicate this aircraft is registered to privacy data omitted. privacy data omitted Is holder of a private pilot certificate with a single engine land rating. N827WS was operated by privacy data omitted at the time of the accident. The aircraft received substantial damage upon landing in a corn field immediately after experiencing a complete power loss at 200 feet in the air just after takeoff.
Visual meteorological conditions and light winds were reported by the pilot during the flight to the location where the accident occurred. The private flight was being conducted under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations (CFR) part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot reported receiving no injuries. This flight originated from kalamazoo, Michigan (kazo). Arrival time at the destination was reported as 1452 EDT. Departure time from the accident location was at 1513 EDT with the power loss and subsequent landing in the cornfield at 1514 EDT.
The pilot stated that while he was approaching the destination, the engine began to run rough. The pilot reported switching fuel tanks and turning on the fuel pump which he reported as correcting the problem. The pilot reported landing without incident. The pilot reported conducting a pre-flight inspection and deciding to fly a ?lap? Around the area to get familiar with the area. Pilot reported run up was normal. During takeoff the pilot reported no issues until the aircraft reached an altitude for approximately 200 feet AGL when the engine sputtered and quit. Due to the low altitude engine failure, the pilot was unable to return to the departure point. The NTSB has requested an engine examination of the Rotax 447 involved with this aircraft. Upon receiving the results of that examination, this report will be amended.
Block number 31 is completed as if this was a mechanical failure. The information in this report is preliminary. After the engine examination is complete, this report will be updated to reflect known information and information in boxes above will be modified.
09-08-2020 Update: this form has been updated based on the engine examination report received from a local maintenance provider. The report states the following:
On August 7, 2020 at 1700 an inspection of N827WS located atprivacy data omitted was conducted. The initial inspection consisted of a visual walk around of the fuselage, empennage and wings. During that time the mechanic has a conversation witht eh pilot concerning the events which took place. The canopy was lifted and the upper engine cowling was removed in order to perform a more detailed inspection. The only discrepancy found was the fuel supply line to the inlet fitting of the vacuum driven fuel pump was loose on the barb fitting. A black plastic hose clamp that was securing the blue-green vinyl hose to the barbed inlet fitting on the mikuni fuel pump was tightened to its maximum clamping position , however, the fuel hose was loose on the inlet fitting. The mechanic believed that at takeoff power this allowed the fuel pump to ingest air which caused a loss of fuel delivery to the carburetor.
Unable to save information as requested by instructions for block 31.
Information is as follows:
Block 31 information:
Date of birth: 12-24-1994
Total time: 62 hours
Private pilot certificate held
As the FAA filed it
ON JUNE 7, 2020 AT 1514 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME (EDT), AN EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURED BY STEFFLER, CHRISTOPHER J. ACCORDING TO AN FAA DATABASE AND IDENTIFIED IN AN E-MAIL FROM THE NTSB AS A TEAM 1600R (ALSO KNOWN AS A MINIMAX) MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING RIGHT AFTER TAKEOFF FROM A NO LONGER USED AIRSTRIP LOCATED AT AN RV PARK NEAR MARSHALL, MICHIGAN. THE AIRCRAFT REGISTRATION NUMBER IS N827WS. FAA DATABASES INDICATE THIS AIRCRAFT IS REGISTERED TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ IS HOLDER OF A PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE WITH A SINGLE ENGINE LAND RATING. N827WS WAS OPERATED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE UPON LANDING IN A CORN FIELD IMMEDIATELY AFTER EXPERIENCING A COMPLETE POWER LOSS AT 200 FEET IN THE AIR JUST AFTER TAKEOFF.
VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AND LIGHT WINDS WERE REPORTED BY THE PILOT DURING THE FLIGHT TO THE LOCATION WHERE THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE PRIVATE FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91 WITHOUT A FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT REPORTED RECEIVING NO INJURIES. THIS FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN (KAZO). ARRIVAL TIME AT THE DESTINATION WAS REPORTED AS 1452 EDT. DEPARTURE TIME FROM THE ACCIDENT LOCATION WAS AT 1513 EDT WITH THE POWER LOSS AND SUBSEQUENT LANDING IN THE CORNFIELD AT 1514 EDT.
THE PILOT STATED THAT WHILE HE WAS APPROACHING THE DESTINATION, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH. THE PILOT REPORTED SWITCHING FUEL TANKS AND TURNING ON THE FUEL PUMP WHICH HE REPORTED AS CORRECTING THE PROBLEM. THE PILOT REPORTED LANDING WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE PILOT REPORTED CONDUCTING A PRE-FLIGHT INSPECTION AND DECIDING TO FLY A ?LAP? AROUND THE AREA TO GET FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA. PILOT REPORTED RUN UP WAS NORMAL. DURING TAKEOFF THE PILOT REPORTED NO ISSUES UNTIL THE AIRCRAFT REACHED AN ALTITUDE FOR APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET AGL WHEN THE ENGINE SPUTTERED AND QUIT. DUE TO THE LOW ALTITUDE ENGINE FAILURE, THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO RETURN TO THE DEPARTURE POINT. THE NTSB HAS REQUESTED AN ENGINE EXAMINATION OF THE ROTAX 447 INVOLVED WITH THIS AIRCRAFT. UPON RECEIVING THE RESULTS OF THAT EXAMINATION, THIS REPORT WILL BE AMENDED.
BLOCK NUMBER 31 IS COMPLETED AS IF THIS WAS A MECHANICAL FAILURE. THE INFORMATION IN THIS REPORT IS PRELIMINARY. AFTER THE ENGINE EXAMINATION IS COMPLETE, THIS REPORT WILL BE UPDATED TO REFLECT KNOWN INFORMATION AND INFORMATION IN BOXES ABOVE WILL BE MODIFIED.
09-08-2020 UPDATE: THIS FORM HAS BEEN UPDATED BASED ON THE ENGINE EXAMINATION REPORT RECEIVED FROM A LOCAL MAINTENANCE PROVIDER. THE REPORT STATES THE FOLLOWING:
ON AUGUST 7, 2020 AT 1700 AN INSPECTION OF N827WS LOCATED AT^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS CONDUCTED. THE INITIAL INSPECTION CONSISTED OF A VISUAL WALK AROUND OF THE FUSELAGE, EMPENNAGE AND WINGS. DURING THAT TIME THE MECHANIC HAS A CONVERSATION WITHT EH PILOT CONCERNING THE EVENTS WHICH TOOK PLACE. THE CANOPY WAS LIFTED AND THE UPPER ENGINE COWLING WAS REMOVED IN ORDER TO PERFORM A MORE DETAILED INSPECTION. THE ONLY DISCREPANCY FOUND WAS THE FUEL SUPPLY LINE TO THE INLET FITTING OF THE VACUUM DRIVEN FUEL PUMP WAS LOOSE ON THE BARB FITTING. A BLACK PLASTIC HOSE CLAMP THAT WAS SECURING THE BLUE-GREEN VINYL HOSE TO THE BARBED INLET FITTING ON THE MIKUNI FUEL PUMP WAS TIGHTENED TO ITS MAXIMUM CLAMPING POSITION , HOWEVER, THE FUEL HOSE WAS LOOSE ON THE INLET FITTING. THE MECHANIC BELIEVED THAT AT TAKEOFF POWER THIS ALLOWED THE FUEL PUMP TO INGEST AIR WHICH CAUSED A LOSS OF FUEL DELIVERY TO THE CARBURETOR.
UNABLE TO SAVE INFORMATION AS REQUESTED BY INSTRUCTIONS FOR BLOCK 31.
INFORMATION IS AS FOLLOWS:
BLOCK 31 INFORMATION:
DATE OF BIRTH: 12-24-1994
TOTAL TIME: 62 HOURS
PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE HELD
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.