- Date
- July 31, 1990, 08:30 local (13:30 UTC)
- Place
- Rosemount, MN
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N853BFBD 4- Francisco BD-4
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 21, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900731029369A
- Case key
- 14488
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
Failure of the manufacturer (amateur built) to design fuel system adequately to prevent vapor lock in fuel line.
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
While on VFR downwind for landing the aircraft suffered a total loss of engine power. The pilot was unable to land on the airport and selected a corn field for landing. The aircraft was substantially damaged on contact with the crops. The pilot and one passenger sustained minor injuries. Subsequent investigation determined that the power loss was due to vapor lock in the fuel line in the engine compartment. The pilot/operator was the manufacturer of the amateur built aircraft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N853BF
- Reported as
- BD 4- Francisco BD-4
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 445
- Airframe hours
- 90
- Engine
- Ford 230 V6A, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Boyd M. Francisco, Jr.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Unknown · October 25, 1990 · 90 hours before
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
- 32
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Private, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,700 total · 397 in this make and model · 2,600 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 1 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 86 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.