Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Kill Devil Hill, North Carolina 27948
Saturday, March 5, 1994 15:10 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE FLEW THE AIRPLANE TO NORFOLK AND PARKED IT ON THE RAMP FOR SEVERAL DAYS. ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT, THE PILOT DEPARTED NORFOLK WITH THE FUEL SELECTOR ON THE LEFT TANK. UPON REACHING HIS TURN AROUND POINT, THE PILOT DRAINED THE FUEL SUMPS, AND PLACED THE FUEL SELECTOR ON THE RIGHT TANK. A QUANTITY OF WATER WAS RECOVERED FROM THE FUEL SYSTEM WHEN THE FUEL SUMPS WERE DRAINED, BUT HE COULD NOT RECALL HOW MUCH WAS RECOVERED FROM THE SYSTEM. AFTER THE PILOT COMPLETED A RUN- UP, THE FLIGHT DEPARTED. AT 350 FEET MSL, THE PILOT EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER; A FORCED LANDING WAS MADE TO AN OPEN FIELD. DURING THE EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE A FEW OUNCES OF WATER WERE RECOVERED FROM THE FUEL SYSTEM. DURING THE NORMAL PREFLIGHT, THE FUEL SYSTEM MUST BE CHECKED FOR CONTAMINATES WITH THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE IN THE LOWERED POSITION. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE RIGHT FUEL CAP WOULD NOT SEAL AND HAD A HISTORY OF COLLECTING WATER IN THE RIGHT FUEL TANK. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE FAILED TO DISCLOSE ANY OTHER FINDINS.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
WAS THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO ADEQUATELY SUMP THE FUEL SYSTEM DURING THE PREFLIGHT INSPECTION.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/5/1994 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1510 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | KILL DEVIL HILL |
| Event State | NORTH CAROLINA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 27948 |
| Event Date Year | 1994 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Unknown |
| Time of the weather observation | 1446 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 185 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | MQI |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 13 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 10 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 2500 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 7 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 14 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 1 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 270 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 150 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1152 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 4 1994 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1655 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 6 2000 10:47AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N7169L |
| NTSB Number | ATL94LA058 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Rutan |
| Aircraft Model | RUTAN LONG EZ |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | RUTAN LON |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 934 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1425 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 1 1993 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 65 |
| Airframe Hours | 185 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | GRANTZ, WALTER C. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 606 MASSAPOAG AVE |
| Aircraft Owner City | SHARON |
| Aircraft Owner State | MA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 02067 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1500 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | W36 |
| Destination City | CHESAPEAKE |
| Destination State | VA |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Climb |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 8 2006 2:12PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\HAMG |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |