- Date
- February 24, 2007, 17:07 local (Feb 25, 2007, 01:07 UTC)
- Place
- Upland, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N81EUScherer Europa
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 27, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20070225003939A
- Case key
- 65347
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
The pilot's inadequate condition inspection and subsequent loss of engine power due to fuel starvation as a result of a blocked fuel filter.
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 pilot said that he was departing on runway 24, and at approximately 80 feet above the runway, the engine lost power. He established a glide for a forced landing. The aircraft impacted a berm on the left side of the west end of the runway, bounced, and came to rest about 150 feet from the runway end. The engine compartment was broken from the fuselage at the firewall, and remained attached to the fuselage by control cables and wires. The pilot said that he had just finished a conditional inspection. He said that he put 5 gallons of fuel in the airplane prior to flight; it holds a maximum of approximately 18 gallons. He said that after the accident he found the fuel line, which led to the fuel filter, to be deteriorated. The pilot said that a small piece of rubber from the fuel line was blocking the filter's inlet. He believes that this was what led to the fuel starvation of the engine.
Factual narrative
On February 24, 2007, at 1707 Pacific standard time, a Scherer Europa experimental homebuilt airplane, N81EU, was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a loss of engine power during takeoff from Cable Airport (CCB), Upland, California. The private pilot and his passenger were not injured. The pilot/owner/builder was operating the airplane under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local, personal flight, which was originating at the time of the accident. A flight plan had not been filed.
The pilot said that he was departing on runway 24, and at approximately 80 feet above the runway, the engine lost power. He established a glide for a forced landing. The aircraft impacted a berm on the left side of the west end of the runway, bounced, and came to rest about 150 feet from the runway end. The engine compartment was broken from the fuselage at the firewall, and remained attached to the fuselage by control cables and wires.
The pilot said that he had just finished a conditional inspection. He said that he put 5 gallons of fuel in the airplane prior to flight; it holds a maximum of approximately 18 gallons. He said that after the accident he found the fuel line, which led to the fuel filter, to be deteriorated. The pilot said that a small piece of rubber from the fuel line was blocking the filter's inlet. He believes that this was what led to the fuel starvation of the engine.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N81EU
- Reported as
- Scherer Europa
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- UK81
- Airframe hours
- 948
- Engine
- Rotax 912UL, 80 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Thomas Scherer
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · February 1, 2007
- Departed
- CCB · Upland, CA
- Destination
- CCB
- Airport
- CCB · Cable Airport, runway 24, 3,864 × 75 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
- 41
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 1, 2006
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,700 total · 948 in this make and model · 1,700 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.07 inHg
- Observed at
- ONT, 5 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.