Pilot Debrief

DURFEE FRED QUICKSILVER MXL near Lexington, TN — 2013-07-22

Final reportERA13LA347
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Date
2013-07-22
Location
Lexington, TN, USA
Airport
NONE
Aircraft
DURFEE FRED QUICKSILVER MXL
Registration
N2590B
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Serious
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Takeoff roll

Probable cause

The student pilot/builder’s failure to maintain airspeed following a loss of engine power, which resulted in an exceedance of the wing’s critical angle-of-attack and a subsequent aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was the student pilot/builder’s inadequate procedures to ensure a clean fuel supply to the engine, which resulted in a clogged fuel filter and the subsequent loss of engine power.

NTSB narrative

The student pilot, who was also the builder of the airplane, took off from a pasture, and, shortly thereafter, the engine quit. The student pilot turned the airplane back toward the pasture, but while approaching it, the airplane stalled and then impacted the ground. The student pilot subsequently found that the fuel filter was clogged, which likely resulted in fuel starvation to the engine. According to the student pilot, he did not have a way to check the fuel quality onboard the airplane, and the airplane's last inspection was completed over 5 years earlier. The student pilot did not note when or if the fuel system had ever been flushed or if the fuel filter was ever changed, but he speculated that the containers he used to transport fuel from a local gas station might have collected dust over time from filling or draining. The student pilot reported only 10 hours of total flight time, all in the accident airplane make and model, which coincided with the 5+ years he had been operating the airplane.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Fuel management
First missed decision gate
Checking fuel quality before flight could have prevented engine failure.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

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

Docket documents4

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