- Date
- July 15, 2009, 16:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Snohomish, WA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N827EVEvektor-Aerotechnik Sportstar
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Loss of engine power (total)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Seattle FSDO
- FAA report
- 20090715010419A
- Case key
- 74304
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 complete loss of engine power due to the failure of the airplane's engine-driven fuel pump.
Findings · 3
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
The student pilot had just taken off for a flight that was to remain in the traffic pattern when the airplane's engine began to lose power about 150 to 200 feet above ground level (AGL). Soon thereafter the engine lost all power, and the flight instructor took control of the airplane. Because there were trees and power lines in his flight path, the instructor found it necessary to make a descending turn of about 150 degrees in order to attempt a forced landing. Just as he was rolling out of the turn the airplane impacted the terrain with sufficient force to result in substantial damage to the fuselage and one wing. A post-accident inspection overseen by a Federal Aviation Administration Airworthiness Inspector determined that the engine-driven fuel pump had failed. During the inspection process the engine was supplied with an alternate source of fuel, and it ran without interruption.
Factual narrative
The student pilot had just taken off for a flight that was to remain in the traffic pattern when the airplane's engine began to lose power about 150 to 200 feet above ground level (AGL). Soon thereafter the engine lost all power, and the flight instructor took control of the airplane. Because there were trees and power lines in his flight path, the instructor found it necessary to make a descending turn of about 150 degrees in order to attempt a forced landing. Just as he was rolling out of the turn the airplane impacted the terrain with sufficient force to result in substantial damage to the fuselage and one wing. A post-accident inspection overseen by a Federal Aviation Administration Airworthiness Inspector determined that the engine-driven fuel pump had failed. During the inspection process the engine was supplied with an alternate source of fuel, and it ran without interruption.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N827EV
- Reported as
- Evektor-Aerotechnik Sportstar
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2007 0827
- Engine
- Rotax 912ULS, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Snohomish Flying Service Inc
- Registered owner
- Snohomish Flying Service Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Special light-sport (Special)
- Departed
- S43 · Snohomish, WA
- Destination
- S43 · Snohomish, WA
- Airport
- S43 · Harvey Field
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 22
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 619 total · 19 in this make and model
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 52
- Certificate
- Private
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,100 total · 4 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 28, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 891 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.