- Date
- July 26, 1994, 15:40 local (20:40 UTC)
- Place
- Blaine, MN
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N218LWMontana Coyote
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 25, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940726019349A
- Case key
- 9608
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 loss of engine power due to the blocked vent 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 descending to land at a seaplane base, the seaplane had a complete loss of engine power. The pilot initiated a forced landing on a lake. The seaplane landed hard, ballooned into the air, and then stalled. Postaccident examination revealed the vent line to the right wing feeder tank was completely blocked with material similar to mud or dirt.
Factual narrative
On July 26, 1994, at 1540 central daylight time, a Montana Coyote experimental seaplane, N218LW, had a complete loss of engine power while en route from Brandon, Minnesota, to Lino Lakes, Minnesota. The commercial pilot made a forced landing on Golden Lake, Minnesota. The seaplane was substantially damaged. Neither the pilot or the sole passenger aboard were injured. The 14 CFR Part 91 flight operated in visual meteorological conditions without flight plan.
The pilot stated the airplane's engine lost power while descending to land at Rice Lake Seaplane Base, Minnesota. He initiated a forced landing on Golden Lake. The seaplane landed hard, ballooned into the air, and then stalled.
A postaccident investigation revealed the vent line to the right wing feeder tank was completely blocked with a material similar to mud or dirt. No other evidence of preimpact mechanical anomalies were discovered.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N218LW
- Reported as
- Montana Coyote
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 10
- Airframe hours
- 97
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- James R. Sims
- Registered owner
- James R. Sims
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 20, 1994 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- Brandon, MN
- Destination
- 8Y4 · Lino Lakes, MN
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
- 61
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 9,000 total · 50 in this make and model · 8,500 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °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.