- Date
- February 25, 1997, 16:25 local (Feb 26, 1997, 00:25 UTC)
- Place
- Galt, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N194DVHoac Austria DV-20
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 31, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970225048149A
- Case key
- 29734
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 disconnect of a fuel line fitting, due to the manufacturer's inadequate design and/or lack of adequate installation procedure for replacement of the fuel filter; which resulted in fuel starvation, loss of engine power, and a forced landing. Soft terrain in the emergency landing area was a related 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 airplane was manufactured in Austria, and had a United States normal airworthiness certificate. The pilot said the aircraft was in the takeoff initial climb when he smelled the strong odor of fuel. The fuel pressure decreased, and the engine quit. The pilot attempted to land in a field, but noticed a large number of cattle in the way. He then landed the aircraft early in soft soil, where the nose gear collapsed. An examination revealed that a fuel line quick disconnect fitting had come loose in the line between the fuel selector and the fuel pump. The fitting allowed access to a fuel filter, which required inspection during each 100-hour/annual inspection. According to the aircraft maintenance records, the line was last removed and reinstalled about 20 hours before the accident. An examining FAA inspector reported that the quick disconnect fitting was safety-wired in accordance with the maintenance instructions. The inspector further stated that even with the safety wire in place 'I was able to insert, lock, unlock and remove the coupler from the pump.' No fuel stains were noted in the area of the fuel pump.
Factual narrative
On February 25, 1997, at 1625 hours Pacific standard time, a HOAC Austria DV-20, N194DV, sustained substantial damage during an off-airport forced landing in soft soil near the Franklin Airport, Galt, California. The forced landing was precipitated by a loss of engine power in the traffic pattern. The aircraft was operated by Patterson Aircraft of Sacramento, and rented by the student pilot for the local area solo instructional flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The student pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight originated at the Sacramento Executive Airport on the day of the accident at 1600 and flew to the Franklin Airport for traffic pattern operations.
The airplane is a production aircraft manufactured in Austria with an United States normal airworthiness certificate. It is powered by a Rotax 912 A3 engine.
In his written report, the pilot said the aircraft was in the takeoff initial climb when he smelled the strong odor of fuel, the fuel pressure decreased, and the engine quit. The pilot attempted to land in a field but noticed a large number of cattle in the way and set the aircraft down early in soft soil. The soft nature of the soil collapsed the nose landing gear strut.
A manufacturer's technical representative examined the aircraft with an FAA airworthiness inspector. The examination revealed that a fuel line quick disconnect fitting had come loose in the line between the fuel selector and the fuel pump. The fitting allows access to a fuel filter, which must be inspected during each 100-hour/annual inspection. During the filter inspection process, the fuel line must be disconnected. According to the aircraft maintenance records, the line was last removed and reinstalled on February 21, 1997, about 20 hours prior to the accident. The examining FAA inspector reported that the quick disconnect fitting was safety-wired in accordance with the maintenance instructions. The inspector further stated that even with the safety wire in place "I was able to insert, lock, unlock and remove the coupler from the pump." No fuel stains were noted in the area of the fuel pump.
The FAA inspector reported that later models of the aircraft have AN fittings in place of the quick disconnect fitting.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N194DV
- Reported as
- Hoac Austria DV-20
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 20094
- Airframe hours
- 916
- Engine
- Rotax 912 A3, 80 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Patterson Aviation
- Registered owner
- Mdfc Equip Leasing Corp
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 21, 1997 · 19 hours before
- Departed
- SAC · Sacramento, CA
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- Q53 · Franklin Field, runway 36, 3,240 × 60 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
- 29
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 75 total · 75 in this make and model · 20 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 15,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SAC, 18 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.