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20250825010989I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Rupe Richard C ESCAPADE · Kountze, TX · August 25, 2025

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
August 25, 2025 · 19:00 local
Place
Kountze, TX
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N271RR
Reported as
Rupe Richard C Escapade
Reported engine
ROTAX 912UL series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Airline transport
Pilot’s flight hours
13,104 total
N271RRRegistered now · Rupe Richard C ESCAPADES/N RR001 · Built 2008Airframe modelRupe Richard C ESCAPADEEngine modelRotax 912UL series4 cycle

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.

Before the incident flight, the pilot had maintenance performed on the airplane at TX42 airport, necessitating the aircraft to be transported there with the wings folded. During maintenance, the wings were unfolded to conduct engine runs. After maintenance was completed, the pilot replaced the mechanic's wing pins with his own. He then departed for the destination airport, T12. About 45 minutes into the flight, the pilot noticed the engine was running roughly and attempted to divert to a nearby airport, hawthorne field (45R). The aircraft's engine failed prior to reaching 45R, forcing the pilot to make an emergency landing in a field approximately 0.5 nautical miles short of the runway. During the landing, the aircraft's nose gear collapsed, resulting in minor damage. Upon inspection, it was discovered that the fuel hose in the left wing had been pinched during the wing unfolding process, preventing fuel from flowing from the left tank. Observations revealed that the left fuel tank was nearly full, while the right tank was nearly empty.

A safety recommendation is being submitted to the kit aircraft manufacturer, suggesting they add a note in the unfolding procedure to remind pilots to ensure that fuel lines are not pinched, thereby ensuring proper fuel flow.

As the FAA filed it

BEFORE THE INCIDENT FLIGHT, THE PILOT HAD MAINTENANCE PERFORMED ON THE AIRPLANE AT TX42 AIRPORT, NECESSITATING THE AIRCRAFT TO BE TRANSPORTED THERE WITH THE WINGS FOLDED. DURING MAINTENANCE, THE WINGS WERE UNFOLDED TO CONDUCT ENGINE RUNS. AFTER MAINTENANCE WAS COMPLETED, THE PILOT REPLACED THE MECHANIC'S WING PINS WITH HIS OWN. HE THEN DEPARTED FOR THE DESTINATION AIRPORT, T12. ABOUT 45 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT, THE PILOT NOTICED THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING ROUGHLY AND ATTEMPTED TO DIVERT TO A NEARBY AIRPORT, HAWTHORNE FIELD (45R). THE AIRCRAFT'S ENGINE FAILED PRIOR TO REACHING 45R, FORCING THE PILOT TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A FIELD APPROXIMATELY 0.5 NAUTICAL MILES SHORT OF THE RUNWAY. DURING THE LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT'S NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED, RESULTING IN MINOR DAMAGE. UPON INSPECTION, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE FUEL HOSE IN THE LEFT WING HAD BEEN PINCHED DURING THE WING UNFOLDING PROCESS, PREVENTING FUEL FROM FLOWING FROM THE LEFT TANK. OBSERVATIONS REVEALED THAT THE LEFT FUEL TANK WAS NEARLY FULL, WHILE THE RIGHT TANK WAS NEARLY EMPTY.

A SAFETY RECOMMENDATION IS BEING SUBMITTED TO THE KIT AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURER, SUGGESTING THEY ADD A NOTE IN THE UNFOLDING PROCEDURE TO REMIND PILOTS TO ENSURE THAT FUEL LINES ARE NOT PINCHED, THEREBY ENSURING PROPER FUEL FLOW.