Summary
On July 30, 2008, a Fowler SX300 (N99F) was involved in an incident near Cheyenne, WY. 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: Loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
At the end of a 2-hour flight the airplane was 3.8 miles from the airport when the engine began to surge. The pilot overflew the airport in order to troubleshoot the problem. The pilot reported that he was at 135 knots, and the fuel selector was set to the right fuel tank, which had approximately 10 gallons of fuel in it. The surging stopped, and the pilot requested a left downwind for runway 27. Within 1 minute the surging returned, he turned toward the air field, and the engine lost all power. The pilot maintained 125 knots and performed a dead stick landing on runway 31.
This incident is documented in NTSB report LAX08CA249. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N99F.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
Loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
At the end of a 2-hour flight the airplane was 3.8 miles from the airport when the engine began to surge. The pilot overflew the airport in order to troubleshoot the problem. The pilot reported that he was at 135 knots, and the fuel selector was set to the right fuel tank, which had approximately 10 gallons of fuel in it. The surging stopped, and the pilot requested a left downwind for runway 27. Within 1 minute the surging returned, he turned toward the air field, and the engine lost all power. The pilot maintained 125 knots and performed a dead stick landing on runway 31. The airplane veered off the side of the runway and into flat unprepared terrain.
The builder of the airplane related to the pilot that the SX300 has very limited wing dihedral, and the ball needs to be kept in the center, or else the fuel pickup would unport.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# LAX08CA249