What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft departed kvdf enroute kfmy while on company acceptance flight. Five minutes into flight at 2500 feet the engine ceased operation. PIC attempted three restarts, all unsuccessful. Due to low altitude PIC deployed ballistic emergency parachute. Aircraft descended and upon approaching the ground struck a tree inverting the aircraft causing it to land on it's backbone crushing the canopy and came to rest in an inverted position. Both occupants were uninjured at that time and PIC cut his lower arm on broken plexiglass while exiting the aircraft. Aircraft departed kvdf with adequate fuel for flight.
FAA iic detected the odor of fuel upon arrival at aircraft. FAA iic investigated source of fuel leak. The fuel selector and fuel pumps were in the off position. Investigation showed that the output hose of the fuel pump assembly became disconnected from the four way distributer fitting due to the installation of the incorrect part at the time of manufacture. The 4 way fitting installed is smooth when shown as barbed in the illustrated parts catalog and the cobra clamp securing the hose to the fitting is not installed properly.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT DEPARTED KVDF ENROUTE KFMY WHILE ON COMPANY ACCEPTANCE FLIGHT. FIVE MINUTES INTO FLIGHT AT 2500 FEET THE ENGINE CEASED OPERATION. PIC ATTEMPTED THREE RESTARTS, ALL UNSUCCESSFUL. DUE TO LOW ALTITUDE PIC DEPLOYED BALLISTIC EMERGENCY PARACHUTE. AIRCRAFT DESCENDED AND UPON APPROACHING THE GROUND STRUCK A TREE INVERTING THE AIRCRAFT CAUSING IT TO LAND ON IT'S BACKBONE CRUSHING THE CANOPY AND CAME TO REST IN AN INVERTED POSITION. BOTH OCCUPANTS WERE UNINJURED AT THAT TIME AND PIC CUT HIS LOWER ARM ON BROKEN PLEXIGLASS WHILE EXITING THE AIRCRAFT. AIRCRAFT DEPARTED KVDF WITH ADEQUATE FUEL FOR FLIGHT.
FAA IIC DETECTED THE ODOR OF FUEL UPON ARRIVAL AT AIRCRAFT. FAA IIC INVESTIGATED SOURCE OF FUEL LEAK. THE FUEL SELECTOR AND FUEL PUMPS WERE IN THE OFF POSITION. INVESTIGATION SHOWED THAT THE OUTPUT HOSE OF THE FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY BECAME DISCONNECTED FROM THE FOUR WAY DISTRIBUTER FITTING DUE TO THE INSTALLATION OF THE INCORRECT PART AT THE TIME OF MANUFACTURE. THE 4 WAY FITTING INSTALLED IS SMOOTH WHEN SHOWN AS BARBED IN THE ILLUSTRATED PARTS CATALOG AND THE COBRA CLAMP SECURING THE HOSE TO THE FITTING IS NOT INSTALLED PROPERLY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.