- Date
- August 20, 2000, 14:23 local (21:23 UTC)
- Place
- Victorville, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N601SPPulsar 100
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 18, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20000820039629A
- Case key
- 50123
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 pilot's failure to provide enough fuel for the intended flight. Contributing to the accident was an improper fuel vapor return system.
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
During the second flight of the experimental homebuilt airplane, the engine lost power resulting in a forced landing. The airplane collided with a ravine during the forced landing roll and the landing gear collapsed. Both flights had operated with a fuel load of 10 gallons, 5 gallons in each wing fuel tank. On approach to the runway, the accident pilot experienced a loss of engine power while operating from the left fuel tank. He switched the fuel selector to the right tank but was unable to get a restart. The pilot stated that the fuel vapor return, which was plumbed into the right fuel tank, was greater than advertised. He had understood the rate to be 20/30 percent of the fuel consumption rate.
Factual narrative
On August 20, 2000, about 1423 hours Pacific daylight time, an experimental Pulsar 100, N601SP, was substantially damaged during an off-airport landing at Victorville, California. The private pilot/builder received minor injuries. The airplane was operated by the pilot, d.b.a. Pulsar Aircraft Corp., El Monte, California, under 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight and no flight plan was filed. The recently built airplane had been trucked from El Monte to the Southern California Logistics airport at Victorville for the purpose of performing the first test flights.
A professional pilot had flown the first flight successfully. The second flight was flown by the owner/builder. Both flights had operated from a fuel load of 10 gallons, 5 gallons each side. On approach to runway 21, the accident pilot experienced a loss of engine power while on the left fuel tank. He switched to the right tank but was unable to get a restart. The pilot was forced to perform an off-airport landing. During the landing roll, after about 300 feet, the landing gear collided with a small ravine and collapsed. The pilot stated that the fuel vapor return, which was plumbed into the right fuel tank, was greater than advertised. He had understood the rate to be 20/30 percent of the fuel consumption rate.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N601SP
- Reported as
- Pulsar 100
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 601
- Airframe hours
- 2
- Engine
- Continental IO-240-B7B, 125 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Solly Melyon, doing business as Pulsar Aircraft Corporation
- Registered owner
- Pulsar Aircraft Corporation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 20, 2000 · 2 hours before
- Departed
- VCV · Socal Airport, CA
- Destination
- VCV
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
- 49
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 263 total · 2 in this make and model · 256 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 93 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- VCV, 1 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.