- Date
- May 21, 1989, 13:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Columbia, IL
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N371FZZengel RV-4
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 11, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890521012109A
- Case key
- 14173
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 improper routing of engine fuel lines resulting in over temperature of the lines which resulted in the fuel flow to carburetor to fluctuate and cause over rich condition and loss of engine power.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The acft experienced an engine failure immediately after lift off. The plt landed straight ahead on the same runway but was unable to stop in the distance remaining. The acft nosed over after striking a ditch located at the end of the runway. Post accident investigation showed that the fuel lines had been loosely wrapped with firesleeve and had been routed adjacent to an exhaust pipe. Ground running the eng for aprx one hr after the accident resulted in fuel pressure fluctuations, high oil temp, and loss of engine power accompanied by heavy black smoke coming from the exhaust pipes. The boost pump seemed to have no effect on the problem.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N371FZ
- Reported as
- Zengel RV-4
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 371
- Airframe hours
- 775
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Frank H. Zengel
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 18, 1989 · 775 hours before
- Departed
- H49 · Columbia, IL
- Airport
- H-49 · Columbia, runway 21, 2,400 × 100 ft, grass/turf
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
- 64
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 157 total · 7 in this make and model · 157 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 110° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CPS, 10 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.
Other investigations on N371FZ · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.