WPR22LA014

The non-certificated pilot was conducting a local flight in an experimental airplane and during cruise flight about 1,000 ft above ground level, the engine began to intermittently lose power. He activated the fuel pump and shortly thereafter the engine shut down. The pilot maneuvered the airplane to land in a cultivated field. The airplane was substantially damaged when it nosed over during the landing roll. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the airplane’s header tank did not have an outlet screen installed and the fuel selector valve contained a large quantity of debris. It is likely the debris, from the fuel tank construction and/or repairs, entered the fuel selector valve from the header tank, resulting in fuel starvation to the engine and the subsequent loss of engine power.

On October 13, 2021, about 1020 Pacific daylight time, an Avid Mark IV experimental airplane, N583DM, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Payette, Idaho. The non-certificated pilot was not injured. The experimental amateur-built airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The non-certificated pilot reported that while in level flight, about 1,000 ft above ground level, the engine began to intermittently lose power. He activated the fuel pump and shortly thereafter the engine shut down. The pilot then turned the airplane 180-degrees to the north to land in a cultivated field. During the landing roll, the airplane nosed over resulting in substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer. A postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed bent tubular structure near the landing gear attachment, forward cabin areas and vertical stabilizer. The airplane’s fuel system header tank did not have an outlet screen and the fuel selector valve contained a large quantity of debris from the fiberglass fuel tanks. According to the Federal Aviation Administration inspector who examined the wreckage, the contamination most likely resulted from the construction and previous repairs of the fuel and header fuel tanks. Maintenance logbooks were not found during the investigation. The pilot logbook revealed a total of 4 hours of flight time. The pilot reported to the Federal Aviation Administration inspector that he had mostly flown ultralight airplanes in the past and those flights were not entered in his logbook.