- Date
- June 5, 2009, 14:25 local (18:25 UTC)
- Place
- Williamsburg, MI
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N213KTGarrett Rans S-6ES
- Defining event
- Enroute-cruise: Loss of engine power (total)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 19, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA - Grand Rapids FSDO
- FAA report
- 20090605011259A
- Case key
- 73968
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot/builder's improper installation of the fuel line cable-tie, which resulted in fuel starvation and the loss of engine power.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The amateur-built airplane departed on the cross-country flight with 12 gallons of fuel. The left and right wing tanks contained 5 and 7 gallons of fuel, respectively. The outbound flight leg was completed without any reported problems. The pilot did not refuel before departing on the return flight. On the return flight, about 8 miles from the destination airport, the airplane experienced a total loss of engine power. The pilot was unable restart the engine and subsequently performed a forced landing into a forest clearing. The outboard half of the left wing was damaged during the landing when it impacted a tree. After the accident, the right fuel tank still contained 7 gallons of fuel. The left fuel tank was void of any usable fuel. Examination of the fuel tanks did not reveal any ruptures or breaches of any kind. The airplane was not equipped with a fuel tank selector. The output fuel lines for the right and left fuel tanks fed into a T-fitting which combined the fuel flow into a single line that serviced the engine. The output fuel lines from each tank were secured to airframe structural tubing with nylon cable-ties. The output fuel line from the right tank was pinched closed where one of the cable-ties was installed, restricting the fuel flow from the right tank. According to the pilot/builder, he finished installing wingtip navigation and strobe lights about 1.4 hours flight time before the accident. During the light installation, he routed and secured the associated electrical wiring in the same area as the fuel tank output lines. The pilot/builder stated that he may have tightened the fuel line cable-tie while he installed the navigation/strobe lights.
Factual narrative
The amateur-built airplane departed on the cross-country flight with 12 gallons of fuel. The left and right wing tanks contained 5 and 7 gallons of fuel, respectively. The outbound flight leg was completed without any reported problems. The pilot did not refuel before departing on the return flight. On the return flight, about 8 miles from the destination airport, the airplane experienced a total loss of engine power. The pilot was unable restart the engine and subsequently performed a forced landing into a forest clearing. The outboard half of the left wing was damaged during the landing when it impacted a tree. After the accident, the right fuel tank still contained 7 gallons of fuel. The left fuel tank was void of any usable fuel. Examination of the fuel tanks did not reveal any ruptures or breaches of any kind. The airplane was not equipped with a fuel tank selector. The output fuel lines for the right and left fuel tanks fed into a T-fitting which combined the fuel flow into a single line that serviced the engine. The output fuel lines from each tank were secured to airframe structural tubing with nylon cable-ties. The output fuel line from the right tank was pinched closed where one of the cable-ties was installed, restricting the fuel flow from the right tank. According to the pilot/builder, he finished installing wingtip navigation and strobe lights about 1.4 hours flight time before the accident. During the light installation, he routed and secured the associated electrical wiring in the same area as the fuel tank output lines. The pilot/builder stated that he may have tightened the fuel line cable-tie while he installed the navigation/strobe lights.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N213KT
- Reported as
- Garrett Rans S-6ES
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 07041600
- Airframe hours
- 82
- Engine
- Rotax 912 ULS, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · September 2, 2008
- Departed
- KHTL · Houghton Lake, MI
- Destination
- KTVC · Traverse City, MI
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 82
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 31, 2008
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,951 total · 92 in this make and model · 1,835 as pilot in command · 27 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 10 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.78 inHg
- Observed at
- KTVC, 8 nm away
Docket · 6
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 19, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.1 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.