- Date
- July 22, 2012, 15:40 local (20:40 UTC)
- Place
- Broadhead, WI
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N899KPPurtee Kevin M Pietenpol Aircamper
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Fuel contamination
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 26, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20120722016119A
- Case key
- 84421
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's failure to adequately remove water-contaminated fuel during the preflight inspection, which resulted in a total loss of engine power during takeoff, and his decision to initiate a turn back to the runway with insufficient airspeed, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
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 pilot's wife stated that the airplane's engine was running rough prior to the flight and that her husband had drained a significant amount of water from the fuel drain. Once he thought the water was drained from the system, he departed. A witness saw the airplane climb to treetop level and enter a left turn as if the pilot was trying to turn back to the airport when the engine lost power. The airplane then made a hard left turn and descended straight down to the ground, resulting in substantial damage to the firewall, fuselage, and both wings. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed water in the fuel line downstream of the fuel valve.
Factual narrative
The pilot's wife stated that the airplane's engine was running rough prior to the flight and that her husband had drained a significant amount of water from the fuel drain. Once he thought the water was drained from the system he departed. A witness saw the airplane climb to tree top level and enter a left turn as if he was trying to turn back to the airport when the engine quit. The airplane then made a hard left turn and descended straight down to the ground resulting in substantial damage to the firewall, fuselage, and both wings. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed water in the fuel line downstream of the fuel valve.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N899KP
- Reported as
- Purtee Kevin M Pietenpol Aircamper
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 001
- Engine
- Ama/Expr UNKNOWN ENG, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Purtee Kevin M
- Registered owner
- Purtee Kevin M
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- C37 · Broadhead, WI
- Destination
- Austin, TX
- Flight plan
- Unknown
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
- 50
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 5,000 total · 353 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 1, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 101 KB 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.