Pilot Debrief

CZECH SPORT AIRCRAFT A S SPORTCRUISER near Hillsboro, OR — 2022-06-07

Final reportWPR22LA203
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Date
2022-06-07
Location
Hillsboro, OR, USA
Airport
HIO
Aircraft
CZECH SPORT AIRCRAFT A S SPORTCRUISER
Registration
N565L
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Initial climb

Probable cause

A missing fuel filler cap O-ring, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to water contamination in the fuel.

NTSB narrative

Shortly after takeoff, having reached an altitude of between 100 to 200 ft above ground level, the airplane’s engine lost total power. The pilot then switched from the left to the right fuel tank and verified that the fuel pump was on. With limited time to troubleshoot and at an altitude too low to deploy the ballistic recovery parachute, he performed a forced landing directly ahead. The airplane struck a fence and sustained substantial damage. The airplane had been parked outside and not flown for about 6 weeks before the accident. During this time, it had been moved from its usual paved tie-down location to a temporary grass tie-down location and, several rain showers had passed through the area. Following the accident, 6 ounces of water were found in the left (takeoff) fuel tank, and the entire fuel system was found to be contaminated with water. Examination revealed that the water likely entered the left tank through the fuel filler cap, which was missing its O-ring seal. Although the pilot drained fuel from the left-wing sump before engine start, he may not have observed any water as the airplane was parked on an uneven grass surface, which may have resulted in the water settling away from the sump drain. Another possibility is that so much water was present that the pilot’s sump container was full of only water, which he misidentified as fuel rather than the globules of water typically observed during sumping operations.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Fuel management
First missed decision gate
Ensuring fuel system integrity before flight after prolonged inactivity.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 8 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents8

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