CEN17LA180

The pilot returned to a private airstrip after a 35-minute flight and planned to perform a touch-and-go takeoff. However, after takeoff and while climbing, the engine started to run rough and then lost power. The pilot selected a field for the forced landing, during which the airplane impacted terrain hard and then came to rest upright. An examination of the airplane revealed that the right fuel tank appeared empty, that fuel was visible in the left tank, and that only residual fuel remained in the header tank, which was breached during the accident. A fuel pump circuit breaker was found open, and the fuel selector was found in the "off" position. The examination of the engine revealed that the engine's three-bladed propeller did not exhibit rotational signatures, indicating that the engine was not running at impact. The spark plugs were removed and appeared normal. The engine was then rotated by hand, and thumb compression and continuity through the drive/valve train were established. Both carburetor float bowls were removed and were empty of fuel; no contaminants or obstructions were noted. The gascolator was removed, and only a small amount of fuel was found; the fuel pump was removed, and only minimal fuel was found. An engine test run was then conducted at power, and the engine ran for several minutes; no anomalies were noted. The fuel source was removed to see how long the engine would run on the residual fuel in the system. Within several minutes, the engine began running rough and then lost power. A postrun examination of the carburetor float bowls, fuel pump, and gascolator revealed an absence of fuel in each, similar to their condition before the engine test run. The accident is consistent with fuel starvation, likely due to the fuel not transferring from a wing fuel tank to the header tank, either due to an open fuel pump circuit or because the right wing fuel tank was empty.

On May 11, 2017, about 1945 central daylight time, a Brokaw Bergon Zodiac airplane, N1041N conducted a forced landing near Orangeville, Illinois. The pilot received serious injuries and the airplane was substantially damaged during the accident. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private individual under the provisions of the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time. The pilot reported that he had flown for 35 minutes and planned to do another takeoff and landing at his private airstrip. Just after the takeoff and while he was in the climb, the engine started to run rough and then lost power. The pilot selected a hay field for the forced landing; however, the airplane impacted terrain hard and came then to rest up-right. The responding Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector noted substantial damage to the airplane's fuselage and wings. The right wing fuel tank appeared empty, fuel was visible in the left wing fuel tank, and only residual fuel remained in the header tank, which appeared to have been breached during the impact. A fuel pump circuit breaker was also open, and the fuel selector was in the off position. The airplane was recovered to the pilot's hangar, and an examination was conducted by an FAA inspector and a technical representative from the engine manufacturer on May 20, 2017. The engine's three bladed propeller (with one broken blade) was absent rotational signatures; the sparkplugs were removed and appeared normal. The engine was then rotated by hand and a thumb compression and continuity check through the drive/valve train was established. Both carburetor float bowls were removed and were empty of fuel; no contaminants or obstructions were noted. The gascolator was removed and only a small amount of fuel was found. The fuel line to the gascolator was then placed in a container of automobile fuel. The engine was then started and run to power for several minutes; no abnormalities were noted. With the fuel source removed, the engine ran rough, then lost power. A post run examination of the carburetor float bowls, fuel pump, and gascolator found levels of fuel similar to that found prior to the engine run.