- Date
- July 26, 1992, 13:15 local (20:15 UTC)
- Place
- Truckee, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N771AFJames Schwarzman Avid Flyer Heavy
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 14, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920726027339A
- Case key
- 27700
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
Fuel starvation due to the aircraft builder locating the fuel filter in an improper location during the construction of the airplane's fuel 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 turn from base to final on a VFR approach, the airplane's engine had a total loss of power. The pilot performed a forced landing to a road. During landing roll, one wing collided with a bush and the airplane nosed over. The airplane had been flown 8 total hours since being built. Examination of the airplane after the accident revealed a partially blocked fuel filter which was located between the main (wing) tanks and a header tank. The fuel from the main tanks to the header tank was gravity fed and required about 1 pound per square inch to ensure a constant supply of fuel in the header tank. The partially blocked filter was 'up-stream' of the fuel boost pump located in the header tank. According to the owner/manufacturer of the airplane, the partially blocked filter reduced the fuel flow below that required to adequately supply fuel to the header tank. The owner also stated that he should not have placed the filter in this location.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N771AF
- Reported as
- James Schwarzman Avid Flyer Heavy (AVID FLYER)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 771
- Airframe hours
- 8
- Engine
- Rotax 582UL, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- James Schwarzman
- Registered owner
- James Schwarzman
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Departed
- TRK
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
- 58
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,000 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.