- Date
- February 29, 2004, 09:15 local (17:15 UTC)
- Place
- Lompoc, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N4027YVogt KR2S
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 8, 2005
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20040229008339A
- Case key
- 58826
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 failure of the fuel pump, which induced a total 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
About 15 minutes after takeoff, during cruise flight, the experimental airplane's engine lost all power. The pilot made a forced landing on rough terrain. On short approach to the field, the airplane impacted a hillside and was substantially damaged. The pilot had manufactured the airplane and installed a Subaru engine. An examination of the engine revealed an internal failure of its electric fuel pump.
Factual narrative
On February 29, 2004, about 0915 Pacific standard time, an experimental Vogt KR2S, N4027Y, experienced a total loss of engine power about 10 miles east of Lompoc, California. The airline transport pilot, who owned and operated the homebuilt airplane, made a forced landing in an open field. On final approach the airplane impacted a hillside and was substantially damaged. The pilot was not injured. The personal flight was performed in visual meteorological conditions under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. No flight plan had been filed. The flight originated from Santa Barbara, California, about 0900.
The pilot reported that his Subaru engine, model EJ-22, experienced a mechanical malfunction "for unknown reasons." Subsequently, during an examination of the engine, its electric Bendix fuel pump was found to have internally failed. The airplane, engine, and the fuel pump's total time in service was 45 hours.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4027Y
- Reported as
- Vogt KR2S
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 9228-733
- Airframe hours
- 45
- Engine
- Subaru EJ-22, 130 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Ronald E. Vogt
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · February 17, 2004 · 2 hours before
- Departed
- SBA · Santa Barbara, CA
- Destination
- LPC · Lompoc, CA
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
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- November 26, 2003
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 6,700 total · 45 in this make and model · 6,670 as pilot in command · 120 in the last 90 days · 35 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.14 inHg
- Observed at
- LPC, 2 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.