SEA01LA123

While attempting a touch-and-go landing in an aircraft that had not been flown for over 13 years, the pilot allowed the aircraft to land hard and balloon back into the air. During the following climb-out, the aircraft's engine began to lose power. The pilot then tried to execute a teardrop return to the airstrip, but realized he would not be able to reach it. He therefore attempted to put the aircraft down in a nearby grain field, but the aircraft stall/mushed into the terrain when the pilot allowed the airspeed to get too low while trying to stretch the glide. The investigation determined that solid contaminants that had accumulated in the fuel system over the thirteen year period of inactivity were dislodged by the hard landing, and subsequently restricted the fuel flow to the engine. Although the pilot had taken a sample of fuel from the gasculator, he did not visually inspect the fuel tanks, carburetor bowl, or the interior of the gasculator.

On June 28, 2001, approximately 1500 mountain daylight time, an experimental Breiter Aerosport Quail, N47075, impacted the terrain during an attempted forced landing about six miles southeast of Idaho Falls, Idaho. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant, received minor injuries, and the aircraft, which was privately owned by an acquaintance of the pilot, sustained substantial damage. The 14 CFR, Part 91 personal pleasure flight was being conducted in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan had been filed. There was no report of an ELT activation.

According to the pilot, who had flown this specific aircraft about 20 years earlier, the present owner had asked him to conduct a demonstration flight for the purpose of selling the aircraft to an interested party. After flying two very wide patterns in order to get the feel of the aircraft, the pilot decided to execute a touch-and-go landing. During the landing sequence, the aircraft touched down hard and ballooned back into the air as the pilot added power. He then climbed straight ahead to an altitude of about 300 feet above the ground. At that point, the engine started to lose power, but did not quit. The pilot therefore turned about 45 degrees to the right, and began a left teardrop pattern back to the runway. After completing about two-thirds of the teardrop, it became obvious to the pilot that the aircraft would not make it back to the runway. While attempting to reach a grain field near the runway, the pilot allowed the airspeed of the aircraft to decrease to a point where it stall/mushed into the terrain from a very low altitude.

During the investigation, it was determined that prior to this flight, the aircraft had not flown in over 13 years. An inspection of the aircraft's fuel system revealed numerous flaky particles of contamination in the fuel tanks, and what appeared to be a small pellet of mud-incrusted insect parts was found in the gasculator. It was also determined that the filter screen was missing from the gasculator. Although the pilot had taken a fuel sample from the gasculator prior to the flight, the fuel tanks, fuel lines, carburetor, and gasculator were not visually inspected for possible contamination. It was the opinion of both the pilot and the FAA Inspector that looked at the aircraft after the accident that the hard landing had dislodged some of the accumulated contamination, and these particles had restricted the fuel flow to the engine.