NYC03LA165

The pilot departed runway 24 in an amateur built airplane, and circled the airport once. He then made an approach to runway 24, but was too high. The wind was calm, and the pilot decided to enter a downwind leg for runway 06. While on the downwind leg, the engine sputtered and quit. The pilot established a glide and turned toward runway 06, but the airplane impacted a berm about 75 feet prior to the runway. The airplane was not equipped with a main fuel tank flapper valve, which was designed to prevent unporting of fuel in the main tank. Therefore, the kit manufacturer had placed a warning in the builder manual that stated do not land or takeoff with less than 10 gallons of fuel. The notice was not in the pilot's flight manual, and he overlooked it prior to the accident flight. The pilot estimated that he had 8-10 gallons of fuel on the airplane when the engine lost all power. The pilot believed that the unporting caused the engine failure, and that the airplane did not experience any pre-impact mechanical malfunction.

On July 24, 2003, about 2015 eastern daylight time, an amateur built Glasair-TD, N22VB, was substantially damaged during a forced landing, following a loss of engine power while on approach to London-Corbin Airport (LOZ), London, Kentucky. The certificated private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.

The pilot reported that the accident flight was his first flight in the airplane, which he recently purchased. The pilot departed runway 24 and circled the airport once. He then made an approach to runway 24, but was too high. The wind was calm, and the pilot decided to enter a downwind leg for runway 06. While on the downwind leg, the engine sputtered and quit. The pilot established a glide and turned toward runway 06, but the airplane impacted a berm about 75 feet prior to the runway.

The pilot further stated that the last fueling of the airplane was in mid-June, when the 18-gallon main fuel tank was "topped off." The accident airplane was constructed as a Glasair II, but had Glasair I wings. The Glasair II wings had a "flapper valve" in the main fuel tank to prevent the fuel from flowing away from the fuel port, toward the wingtips, and starving the engine. The main fuel tank in the accident airplane was not equipped with the "flapper valve."

The pilot added that due to this condition, there was a warning notice from Glasair placed in his builder manual. The notice stated do not land or takeoff with less than 10 gallons of fuel in the main fuel tank. The notice was not in the pilot's flight manual, and he "overlooked" it prior to the accident flight. The pilot estimated that he had 8-10 gallons of fuel on the airplane when the engine lost all power. The pilot believed that the unporting caused the engine failure, and that the airplane did not experience any pre-impact mechanical malfunction.

A representative from Glasair stated that there was also a warning not to slip the airplane with less than 10 gallons of fuel.

Examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the nose gear and main landing gear sheared off the airplane, and the fuselage was compressed.