- Date
- February 1, 2001, 19:34 local (Feb 2, 2001, 02:34 UTC)
- Place
- Marana, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N29KKArthur Dragonfly
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report February 25, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- SDL FSDO, FAA
- FAA report
- 20010201003399A
- Case key
- 51435
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
A total loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. Contributing to the accident was the rough/uneven terrain.
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 airplane had a total loss of engine power and the pilot made an emergency landing. The airplane was at a cruise altitude of 4,000 feet msl when the engine lost power. The pilot said that he verified that the electric fuel pump switch was in the "on" position. He then moved the fuel mixture control to the "full rich" position and engaged the starter. After his unsuccessful attempts to start the engine, he made an emergency forced landing in open desert terrain.
Factual narrative
On February 1, 2001, at 1934 hours mountain standard time, an amateur-built experimental Arthur Dragonfly, N29KK, lost engine power and made an emergency forced landing southeast of Marana, Arizona. During the landing, the aircraft encountered rough terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage, and the certificated private pilot, the sole occupant, received only minor injuries. The airplane was being operated by the pilot/owner as a personal flight under 14 CFR Part 91 when the accident occurred. The local flight originated from the Marana Northwest Regional Airport about 1910. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan had been filed.
The pilot told Safety Board investigators that he had been in cruise flight at 4,000 feet mean sea level when the engine quit. He said that he verified that the electric fuel pump switch was in the "on" position. He then moved the fuel mixture control to the "full rich" position and engaged the starter. After his unsuccessful attempts to start the engine, he made an emergency forced landing in open desert terrain. During the forced landing, the forward canard was damaged.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N29KK
- Reported as
- Arthur Dragonfly
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 300
- Airframe hours
- 1,587
- Engine
- Continental 0200, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Allen L. Petterson
- Registered owner
- Gene Arthur
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 1, 1901 · 2 hours before
- Departed
- E14 · Marana, AZ
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
- 43
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- December 13, 2000
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 255 total · 18 in this make and model · 165 as pilot in command · 18 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 0° at 0 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.27 inHg
- Observed at
- TUS
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.