N601SP

On August 20, 2000, about 1423 hours Pacific daylight time, an experimental Pulsar 100, N601SP, was substantially damaged during an off-airport landing at Victorville, California. The private pilot/builder received minor injuries. The airplane was operated by the pilot, d.b.a. Pulsar Aircraft Corp., El Monte, California, under 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight and no flight plan was filed. The recently built airplane had been trucked from El Monte to the Southern California Logistics airport at Victorville for the purpose of performing the first test flights.

A professional pilot had flown the first flight successfully. The second flight was flown by the owner/builder. Both flights had operated from a fuel load of 10 gallons, 5 gallons each side. On approach to runway 21, the accident pilot experienced a loss of engine power while on the left fuel tank. He switched to the right tank but was unable to get a restart. The pilot was forced to perform an off-airport landing. During the landing roll, after about 300 feet, the landing gear collided with a small ravine and collapsed. The pilot stated that the fuel vapor return, which was plumbed into the right fuel tank, was greater than advertised. He had understood the rate to be 20/30 percent of the fuel consumption rate.