What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On August 14, 2020, at 1645 zulu, an experimental homebuilt Siebel Auriga airplane, N505JS, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Cottonwood Airport in Rockford, Illinois. The pilot was not injured. The driver of an automobile sustained minor injuries. The passenger of the automobile was not injured. The airplane was operated as a title 14 code of federal regulations part 91 personal flight.
The pilot reported departing runway 18 at Cottonwood Airport (1C8), Rockford, Illinois, and climbing north of the airport intending to monitor engine oil temperatures after making changes to the engine cowling to increase cooling. The pilot reported that while climbing through 3,000 feet mean sea level (MSL), about 5 miles north of 1C8, the engine "sputtered and quit." The pilot changed fuel tanks and turned on the auxiliary fuel pump but was unable to restore engine power. The pilot did not set up for best glide speed and rather increased speed and descent rate while making a 180° course reversal to for a straight-in emergency landing on runway 18 at 1C8. The pilot reported that the aircraft was high and fast on approach, and the pilot performed a forward slip maneuver to lose additional altitude. The pilot reported that the airplane was still high and fast during final approach and that the aircraft landed midfield. Despite using maximum braking, the airplane overran the end of the grass runway at 1C8. After leaving the runway the aircraft ran through the airport perimeter fence, and an embankment which caused the nose gear and the left main gear to collapse. The aircraft continued onto auburn street where it was struck by a sedan. The automobile came to rest on top of the left wing after striking the fuselage near the rear window.
The engine, mechanical fuel pump, and auxiliary fuel pump were removed from the aircraft and mounted in a test cell where it was run multiple times. The post-accident engine test runs did not identify any malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The engine-driven fuel pump functioned normally. The auxiliary fuel pump functioned, but the output pressure was below the engine manufacturer's minimum specification. Additional examination of the airplane's fuel tanks, fuel tank vents, fuel tank selector valve, fuel strainer assembly, p-leads, and ignition switch did not identify any anomalies or failures that would have precluded normal engine operation. The pilot reported that he departed on the flight with 45 gallons of fuel, and that he observed fuel leaking from the airplane following the accident. The pilot estimated that 25 gallons of fuel were drained from the airplane before it was recovered from the accident site.
As the FAA filed it
ON AUGUST 14, 2020, AT 1645 ZULU, AN EXPERIMENTAL HOMEBUILT SIEBEL AURIGA AIRPLANE, N505JS, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT NEAR COTTONWOOD AIRPORT IN ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS. THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. THE DRIVER OF AN AUTOMOBILE SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE PASSENGER OF THE AUTOMOBILE WAS NOT INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED AS A TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT.
THE PILOT REPORTED DEPARTING RUNWAY 18 AT COTTONWOOD AIRPORT (1C8), ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS, AND CLIMBING NORTH OF THE AIRPORT INTENDING TO MONITOR ENGINE OIL TEMPERATURES AFTER MAKING CHANGES TO THE ENGINE COWLING TO INCREASE COOLING. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT WHILE CLIMBING THROUGH 3,000 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL (MSL), ABOUT 5 MILES NORTH OF 1C8, THE ENGINE "SPUTTERED AND QUIT." THE PILOT CHANGED FUEL TANKS AND TURNED ON THE AUXILIARY FUEL PUMP BUT WAS UNABLE TO RESTORE ENGINE POWER. THE PILOT DID NOT SET UP FOR BEST GLIDE SPEED AND RATHER INCREASED SPEED AND DESCENT RATE WHILE MAKING A 180° COURSE REVERSAL TO FOR A STRAIGHT-IN EMERGENCY LANDING ON RUNWAY 18 AT 1C8. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS HIGH AND FAST ON APPROACH, AND THE PILOT PERFORMED A FORWARD SLIP MANEUVER TO LOSE ADDITIONAL ALTITUDE. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS STILL HIGH AND FAST DURING FINAL APPROACH AND THAT THE AIRCRAFT LANDED MIDFIELD. DESPITE USING MAXIMUM BRAKING, THE AIRPLANE OVERRAN THE END OF THE GRASS RUNWAY AT 1C8. AFTER LEAVING THE RUNWAY THE AIRCRAFT RAN THROUGH THE AIRPORT PERIMETER FENCE, AND AN EMBANKMENT WHICH CAUSED THE NOSE GEAR AND THE LEFT MAIN GEAR TO COLLAPSE. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED ONTO AUBURN STREET WHERE IT WAS STRUCK BY A SEDAN. THE AUTOMOBILE CAME TO REST ON TOP OF THE LEFT WING AFTER STRIKING THE FUSELAGE NEAR THE REAR WINDOW.
THE ENGINE, MECHANICAL FUEL PUMP, AND AUXILIARY FUEL PUMP WERE REMOVED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND MOUNTED IN A TEST CELL WHERE IT WAS RUN MULTIPLE TIMES. THE POST-ACCIDENT ENGINE TEST RUNS DID NOT IDENTIFY ANY MALFUNCTIONS OR FAILURES THAT WOULD HAVE PRECLUDED NORMAL OPERATION. THE ENGINE-DRIVEN FUEL PUMP FUNCTIONED NORMALLY. THE AUXILIARY FUEL PUMP FUNCTIONED, BUT THE OUTPUT PRESSURE WAS BELOW THE ENGINE MANUFACTURER'S MINIMUM SPECIFICATION. ADDITIONAL EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE'S FUEL TANKS, FUEL TANK VENTS, FUEL TANK SELECTOR VALVE, FUEL STRAINER ASSEMBLY, P-LEADS, AND IGNITION SWITCH DID NOT IDENTIFY ANY ANOMALIES OR FAILURES THAT WOULD HAVE PRECLUDED NORMAL ENGINE OPERATION. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE DEPARTED ON THE FLIGHT WITH 45 GALLONS OF FUEL, AND THAT HE OBSERVED FUEL LEAKING FROM THE AIRPLANE FOLLOWING THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT ESTIMATED THAT 25 GALLONS OF FUEL WERE DRAINED FROM THE AIRPLANE BEFORE IT WAS RECOVERED FROM THE ACCIDENT SITE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.