# NTSB WPR15LA055: Fouga CM 170R Magister, N300FM, Lake Havasu City, AZ, December 6, 2014 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: December 6, 2014, 12:00 local (19:00 UTC) - Place: Lake Havasu City, AZ - Coordinates: 34.566665, -114.349998 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.5667&lon=-114.3500&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Approach: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report April 26, 2016 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Western Pacific Region - Parties: FAA FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 90465 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=WPR15LA055 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/90465/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=90465 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR15LA055 ## Probable cause A total loss of engine power to both engines during descent due to fuel starvation as a result of an interruption of the fuel flow, which resulted in a forced landing to a short strip and a subsequent overrun. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Fluids: fuel](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010): Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware · Not specified (probable cause); cases with it: [All aircraft, 1,695 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md) - [Fuel system: fuel distribution](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01022820): Aircraft › Aircraft systems · Not specified (probable cause); cases with it: [All aircraft, 141 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01022820/cases.md) - [Terrain: rough terrain](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03021015): Environmental issues › Physical environment · Contributed to outcome; cases with it: [All aircraft, 442 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03021015/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Approach: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) (defining event); cases with it: [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md) - [Emergency descent: Off-field or emergency landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440); cases with it: [All aircraft, 3,365 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md) - [Landing-landing roll: Runway excursion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300); cases with it: [All aircraft, 3,643 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300/sequence.md) ## Analysis The commercial pilot/owner was conducting a cross-country personal flight in the experimental airplane and stopped at an intermediate airport for fuel. While descending to the destination airport, both engines flamed out. The pilot estimated that the airplane should have had about 1.5 hours of fuel remaining when the engine flameouts occurred. The pilot determined that the airplane would not be able to glide to the airport, so he attempted to land it on a short asphalt strip. The airplane touched down firmly with about 1,000 ft remaining. The pilot was unable to stop the airplane on the asphalt, and it continued about 200 ft off the end into rough terrain. The cockpit remained intact, but the rest of the airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane had a submerged boost pump in the rear fuselage tank that supplied fuel to both engines through a filter and a nonreturn valve. The main fuel filter had a bypass pin inside the bowl, which moved up and down when the filter was partially blocked and forced the bypass poppet valve to move up. The pilot and his mechanic examined the airplane after the accident and observed that the poppet valve was in the full-up position. The mechanic suggested that this indicated that there was a blockage in the fuel system; however, due to the damage, he and the pilot did not attempt to find the blockage site. Based on the available evidence, both engines likely lost power due to fuel starvation as a result of an interruption of the fuel flow. ## Factual narrative On December 6, 2014, about 1200 mountain standard time, an experimental Fouga CM 170R Magister, N300FM, landed hard during a forced landing near Lake Havasu City, Arizona. The pilot/owner was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The commercial pilot was not injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage to all components of the airframe during the accident sequence. The cross-country personal flight departed Grand Canyon, Arizona, at 1100, with Lake Havasu as the planned destination. Visual meteorological conditions (VMC) prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.The pilot stated that he had encountered a gyro problem on the flight segment to the Grand Canyon Airport, but otherwise had no issues with the airplane. He added fuel at Grand Canyon, and should have had about 1.5 hours of fuel remaining when both engines flamed out while descending through 5,000 feet on approach to Lake Havasu. The pilot reported that he would not be able to glide to the airport. He observed a short asphalt strip nearby, and attempted to land there. Due to the short length, he landed firmly with about 1,000 feet remaining. He was unable to stop on the asphalt, and the airplane continued about 200 feet into rough terrain. The cockpit remained intact, but the rest of the airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane's flight manual described the fuel system. In normal flight, it stated that a submerged boost pump in the rear fuselage tank supplied fuel to both engines through a filter and a non-return valve. That pump also delivered fuel to the upper chamber of the negative-g flight accumulator, which was also supplied with pressure air from the engine air bleeds. The main fuel filter had a bypass pin inside the bowl, which moved up and down when the filter was partially blocked. This forced the bypass poppet valve to move up. The pilot and his mechanic examined the airplane after the accident, and observed the poppet valve in the full up position. The mechanic opined that this indicated a blockage in the fuel system; but, due to the damage, they did not attempt to find the blockage site. ## Aircraft - Registration: N300FM (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: FOUGA CM 170R MAGISTER - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 494 - Year built: 1964 - Engines: Turbomeca Marbore VI turbo jet; Turbomeca Marbore VI turbo jet - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Michael Perry - Registered owner: Michael Perry - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Last inspection: Annual, December 28, 2013 - Departed: KGCN, Grand Canyon, AZ - Destination: Lake Havasu City, AZ - Equipment: Handheld GPS ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 54; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine sea, multi-engine sea; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, without waivers/limitations; last flight review June 5, 2013; seat: front; restraint: 5-point; flight hours: 2,700 total, 68 in this make and model, 40 in the last 90 days, 12 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 30° at 6 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 72 °F, dew point 45 °F - Altimeter: 30.20 inHg - Icing: Unknown - Turbulence: Unknown - Observed at: KEED ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20141206024319A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20141206024319A), Dec 6, 2014: Fouga (Etablissements Et Cie) CM 170R MAGISTER, Havasu, AZ, Destroyed. As the aircraft was descending to land, both engines lost power and required the pilot to execute an emergency landing at a private airfield, the aircraft was… ## Docket (4 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 10, 2016, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=90465. 1.1 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 584 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40437606&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.PDF - Record of Conversation - NTSB and Pilot ref Findings (item 2, .PDF, 54 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40437607&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Record%20of%20Conversation%20-%20NTSB%20and%20Pilot%20ref%20Findings-Master.PDF - Flight Manual Excerpts (item 3, .PDF, 250 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40437608&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Flight%20Manual%20Excerpts-Master.PDF - Fuel System Schematic (item 4, .PDF, 203 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40437609&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Fuel%20System%20Schematic-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.