- Date
- February 12, 1991, 15:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- San Luis Obispo, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N71TQuestaire Venture
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 25, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910212008149A
- Case key
- 27118
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 failure of the fuel system vent check valve, which resulted in fuel starvation to the aircraft's engine.
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 pilot was performing the initial test flight on his homebuilt aircraft. After executing several approaches without actually landing the aircraft, the pilot decided to make a final approach to a full stop. At approximately 800 feet AGL, the aircraft's engine experienced a total loss of power. The pilot executed a forced landing to a field. Examination by the FAA revealed that the aircraft had adequate fuel supply, but the engine failed as a result of fuel starvation caused by a malfunctioning fuel system vent check valve.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N71T
- Reported as
- Questaire Venture
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 26
- Engine
- Continental IO-550, 280 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Michael C. Thomas
- Registered owner
- Michael C. Thomas
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
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
- 42
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Expired
- Flight hours
- 1,220 total · 1 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N71T · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.