- Date
- July 3, 1994, 07:58 local (14:58 UTC)
- Place
- Stockton, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N51079Adams Thorpe T-18
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 7, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940703017469A
- Case key
- 28788
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 vapor lock induced engine failure due to inadequate thermal shielding of the fuel pump and lines. Soft terrain in the landing area was a factor.
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 accident flight was the second flight of the aircraft since certification on April 6, 1994. The aircraft has a Mazda NSU wankle rotary automobile engine installed and is operated on automotive gasoline. The pilot was on initial climbout after takeoff when the engine suddenly quit. The pilot was unable to make the runway and executed a forced landing in a field near the airport. The aircraft nosed over after encountering soft, rough terrain. The pilot reported that the fuel lines and fuel pump do not have any thermal shielding and he believes the engine failure was due to vapor lock.
Factual narrative
On July 3, 1994, at 0758 Pacific daylight time, an experimental homebuilt Adams Thorpe T-18 airplane, N51079, nosed over while attempting a forced landing in a field adjacent to runway 29R at Stockton, California. The aircraft was owned and operated by the pilot and was on a local area test flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft incurred substantial damage. The certificated private pilot, the sole occupant, sustained minor injuries. The flight was originating at the time of the accident.
According to information provided by an Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector from the Oakland, California Flight Standards District Office, the accident flight was the second flight of the aircraft since certification on April 6, 1994. The aircraft has a Mazda NSU wankle rotary automobile engine installed and is operated on automotive gasoline.
The pilot was on initial climbout after takeoff when the engine suddenly quit. The pilot was unable to make the runway and executed a forced landing in a field near the airport. The aircraft nosed over after encountering soft, rough terrain.
The pilot reported that the fuel lines and fuel pump do not have any thermal shielding and he believes the engine failure was due to vapor lock.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N51079
- Reported as
- Adams Thorpe T-18 (THORPE T-1)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 988
- Airframe hours
- 1
- Engine
- Mazda NSU WANKLE, 153 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- Terry W. Adams
- Registered owner
- Terry W. Adams
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 6, 1994 · 1 hours before
- Departed
- SCK
- Destination
- SCK
- Airport
- SCK · Stockton Metro, runway 29R, 8,600 × 150 ft, asphalt
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
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 351 total · 1 in this make and model · 351 as pilot in command · 3 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Temperature
- 72 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.