- Date
- January 18, 2009, 07:10 local (17:10 UTC)
- Place
- Hilo, HI
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N81633Mulec Frank A FP-404
- Defining event
- Enroute-cruise: Loss of engine power (total)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 15, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20090118002409A
- Case key
- 73249
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 total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation as a result of a clogged fuel filter.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
According to the pilot, during cruise flight in his experimental, amateur-built airplane, the engine suddenly lost all power and the propeller stopped rotating. The pilot attempted to restart the engine by diving the airplane, but he was not successful. The pilot made a forced landing in a clearing near a drag strip. The airplane touched down hard and, during roll out, collided with two chain link fences, breaking the biplane's left wings. During the subsequent examination of the airplane, the pilot reported observing a clogged main line fuel filter.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, during cruise flight in his experimental, amateur built airplane, the Hummel 2180 cc engine suddenly lost all power and the propeller stopped rotating. The pilot attempted to restart the engine by diving the airplane, but he was not successful. The pilot made a forced landing in a clearing near a drag strip. The airplane touched down hard and during roll out, collided with two chain link fences, breaking the biplane's left wings. During the subsequent examination of the airplane, the pilot reported observing a clogged main line fuel filter.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N81633
- Reported as
- Mulec Frank A FP-404
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 01
- Airframe hours
- 81
- Engine
- Hummel WW 2180 cc, 76 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 2008
- Departed
- ITO · Hilo, HI
- Destination
- ITO · Hilo, HI
- Airport
- ITO · Hilo International
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
- 79
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 21, 2007
- Seat
- Single
- Flight hours
- 2,000 total · 49 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- ITO, 2 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.