# NTSB CEN16LA339: Rans Coyote S 4, N8024J, Clarksville, TX, August 27, 2016 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: August 27, 2016, 16:00 local (21:00 UTC) - Place: Clarksville, TX - Coordinates: 33.601387, -95.073608 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.6014&lon=-95.0736&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Initial climb](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/350) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Initial climb: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious - Status: Completed, report January 18, 2017 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 93914 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN16LA339 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/93914/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=93914 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN16LA339 ## Probable cause The total loss of engine power due to a deteriorated and disconnected fuel line, which resulted in fuel starvation and a subsequent hard, off-field landing. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Fuel system: fuel distribution](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01022820): Aircraft › Aircraft systems · Damaged/degraded (probable cause); cases with it: [Rans COYOTE S-4, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01022820/cases.md?model=05903AT), [All aircraft, 141 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01022820/cases.md) - [Fuel system: fuel distribution](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01022820): Aircraft › Aircraft systems · Failure (probable cause); cases with it: [Rans COYOTE S-4, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01022820/cases.md?model=05903AT), [All aircraft, 141 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01022820/cases.md) - [Maintenance/inspections](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01010500): Aircraft › Aircraft handling/service · Not serviced/maintained; cases with it: [Rans COYOTE S-4, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01010500/cases.md?model=05903AT), [All aircraft, 103 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01010500/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Initial climb: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Rans COYOTE S-4, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=05903AT), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) - [Initial climb: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) (defining event); cases with it: [Rans COYOTE S-4, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=05903AT), [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md) - [Initial climb: Off-field or emergency landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440); cases with it: [Rans COYOTE S-4, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md?model=05903AT), [All aircraft, 3,365 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md) ## Analysis The student pilot was conducting a local, solo, personal flight. He reported that, while flying over his home about 1,700 ft above ground level, the engine "sputtered," and the tachometer decreased to between 1,300 and 1,500 rpm. The student turned the airplane around and proceeded back toward the airport; however, the airplane continued to descend and was not able to reach the airport. The student conducted a forced landing, and the airplane landed hard in a field. A postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the fuel pump impulse line was deteriorated and had disconnected during the accident flight. The carburetor fuel bowl was dry with no evidence of fuel. The most recent engine maintenance was completed about 9 months before the accident, and the fuel pump impulse line was not mentioned in the logbook entry. The accident is consistent with a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation, which resulted from a deteriorated and disconnected fuel line. ## Factual narrative On August 27, 2016, about 1600 central daylight time, a Rans Coyote S-4 airplane, N8024J, experienced a loss of engine power and landed in a field near the Clarksville/Red River County Airport-J D Trissell Field, (LBR), Clarksville, Texas. The student rated pilot, who was the sole occupant, sustained serious injuries and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private individual under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the accident location and no flight plan had been filed. The local flight departed LBR about 1545. The 75-year-old student pilot reported that he planned to fly over his home and then return to the airport. While flying above his home about 1,700 ft above ground level (agl), the engine "sputtered" and the tachometer decreased to 1,300 to 1,500 RPM. The pilot turned the airplane around and proceeded back toward the airport. The airplane continued to descend and the pilot noted that with the available power and altitude, he could not make it back to the airport. He then selected a large field surrounded by trees for the forced landing. The airplane cleared the trees and landed hard in the field. The responding Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector reported that the airplane came to rest 0.55 nautical miles northwest of LBR runway 17. Ground impact marks were observed about 50 ft in front of the airplane. Continuity of all flight controls was confirmed. The fuselage frame was bent and twisted and the fabric cover was torn. The left wing was distorted upward near the wing strut attachment point. The landing gear was collapsed. The fuel tank behind the seat was over half full and the header tank was full. The fuel selector valve was set to OFF, the mixture control was reduced half way, and the throttle control was full forward. A postaccident engine examination was conducted by a representative from the engine manufacturer under the supervision of the FAA. The examination revealed that the fuel pump impulse line was broken near the attach point on the crankcase. The soft rubber fuel line was very brittle and exhibited visible deterioration. The carburetor fuel bowl was dry with no evidence of fuel. The rest of the fuel system did not reveal any anomalies. The fuel line was cut to remove the damaged portion then re-attached to the crankcase in order to conduct an engine test run. The engine started and was briefly run with no anomalies noted. The damaged propeller did not allow the engine to be run to maximum RPM. After the test run the fuel line was found to be broken again at the attachment point. Another test run was conducted in order to determine how long the engine would run after the fuel source was removed (to simulate the engine run time after the fuel line was disconnected). The engine operated for sixty-two seconds and then lost all power. The most recent maintenance wascompleted by the previous owner on November 20, 2015, which included installation of rebuilt engine cylinders. The fuel pump impulse line was not mentioned in the maintenance logbook entry. The pilot added that he had only flown this airplane one other time. He planned to only conducted high speed taxi runs, but accidentally became airborne. The airplane reached 50 to 75 ft agl and the pilot noticed there was minimal runway left beneath him. He made one pass around the traffic pattern and landed. During the landing the airplane departed the runway into the grass. After the flight, the pilot asked a local flight instructor, who happened to observe the accidental flight, if we he would endorse his logbook for solo flight. The flight instructor provided the solo flight endorsement. The pilot had accumulated 9.2 total flight hours, of which 0.3 hours were in the accident airplane. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N8024J](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N8024J-2019-09-06), registration cancelled 2019-09-06, S/N 91160, built 1991 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: RANS COYOTE S 4 - Registry model: [Rans COYOTE S-4](https://openairdocs.org/model/rans-coyote-s-4) (registry code 05903AT) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Rotax 503DCSI](https://openairdocs.org/engine/rotax-503dcsi) (registry code 55567, 2 cycle) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 91160 - Year built: 1991 - Engines: ROTAX 503DCSI 50 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Last inspection: Unknown, November 20, 2015 - Departed: LBR, Clarksville, TX - Destination: LBR, Clarksville, TX - Airport: LBR, Clarksville/Red River Cty-J D, runway 17, 3,000 × 50 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Student pilot; age 75; injuries: serious; student; medical: class 3, without waivers/limitations; last flight review September 26, 2014; seat: single; restraint: lap only; flight hours: 9.1 total, 0.3 in this make and model, 0.3 as pilot in command, 1.7 in the last 90 days, 0.3 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 60° at 5 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 84 °F, dew point 73 °F - Altimeter: 29.96 inHg - Observed at: KPRX, 19 nm away ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20160827016469A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20160827016469A), Aug 27, 2016: Rans COYOTE S-4, Clarksville, TX, Substantial damage. The aircraft departed from Clarksville airport. Approximately 5 miles from the airport the aircraft experienced a loss of RPM. The pilot was unable to maintain… ## Docket (6 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 2, 2016, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=93914. 11.2 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 4.3 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40446963&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.PDF - FAA Inspector's Examination Summary (item 2, .PDF, 85 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40446964&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=FAA%20Inspector%27s%20Examination%20Summary-Master.PDF - Maintenance Records (item 3, .PDF, 71 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40446965&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Maintenance%20Records-Master.PDF - Pilot's Logbook (item 4, .PDF, 3.9 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40446966&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%27s%20Logbook-Master.PDF - Correspondence - Previous Owner (item 5, .PDF, 117 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40446967&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Correspondence%20-%20Previous%20Owner-Master.PDF - Photos (item 6, .PDF, 2.7 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40446968&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photos-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.