Summary
On May 11, 2005, a Zeidman RV-6A (N42RZ) was involved in an incident near Kennett Square, PA. All 1 person aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: A fuel pump malfunction, as reported by the pilot, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
On May 11, 2005, about 1915 eastern daylight time, a homebuilt RV-6A, N42RZ, experienced a loss of engine power while in cruise flight, and was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. The certificated private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
The pilot reported that on the day prior to the accident, he experienced difficulty restarting the engine and suspected a vapor lock problem. He installed a blast tube to aid the cooling of the engine fuel pump and conducted a test flight the following day.
This incident is documented in NTSB report NYC05LA081. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N42RZ.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
A fuel pump malfunction, as reported by the pilot, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
On May 11, 2005, about 1915 eastern daylight time, a homebuilt RV-6A, N42RZ, experienced a loss of engine power while in cruise flight, and was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. The certificated private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
The pilot reported that on the day prior to the accident, he experienced difficulty restarting the engine and suspected a vapor lock problem. He installed a blast tube to aid the cooling of the engine fuel pump and conducted a test flight the following day. During the test flight, while the airplane was at 2,000 feet, it experienced a loss of engine power, after the pilot cycled the auxiliary fuel pump switch. The pilot turned toward a nearby airport, switched fuel tanks, placed the mixture control to full rich, and confirmed that the fuel pump was in the "on" position. The airplane continued to descend and the pilot performed a forced landing to a field. During the landing, the airplane struck a ditch, and flipped over.
Examination of the engine by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector did not reveal pre-impact malfunctions. The airplane was equipped with a facet cube-style electric auxiliary fuel pump. The pilot reported that subsequent troubleshooting of the fuel pump revealed that it operated intermittently and restricted fuel flow to the carburetor.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# NYC05LA081