- Date
- June 24, 2009, 15:15 UTC
- Place
- Beach City, TX
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N26MRBakeng Deuce
- Defining event
- Enroute: Fuel starvation
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20090624010299A
- Case key
- 74123
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 loss of engine power due to fuel starvation resulting from a partially crimped fuel tank vent tube.
Findings · 1
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
During the second flight of the homebuilt airplane, the engine lost power and the pilot made a forced landing on a residential street. Witnesses said the airplane veered off the street into a ditch and struck a mailbox. Damage included buckling of the engine mount and fuselage as well as separation of the right main gear, and approximately three feet of the outboard portion of the right wing. Due to the pilot's injuries, he had no recollection of the flight. Examination of the aircraft by Federal Aviation Administration inspectors revealed a partially crimped forward fuel tank vent tube.
Factual narrative
During the second flight of the homebuilt airplane, the engine lost power and the pilot made a forced landing on a residential street. Witnesses said the airplane veered off the street into a ditch and struck a mailbox. Damage included buckling of the engine mount and fuselage as well as separation of the right main gear, and approximately three feet of the outboard portion of the right wing. Due to the pilot's injuries, he had no recollection of the flight. Examination of the aircraft by Federal Aviation Administration inspectors revealed a partially crimped forward fuel tank vent tube.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N26MR
- Reported as
- Bakeng Deuce
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 001
- Airframe hours
- 1
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Rountree, Michael H.
- Registered owner
- Rountree, Michael H.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · June 17, 2009 · 1 hours before
- Departed
- 54T · RWJ Air Park, TX
- Destination
- 54T · RWJ Air Park, TX
- Airport
- 54T · RWJ Air Park
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
- 63
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 5, 2009
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 593 total · 1 in this make and model · 560 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.89 inHg
- Observed at
- HOU, 24 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 5, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.6 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.