Wolf Lake Airstrip Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Wasilla, Alaska 99687
Saturday, March 22, 1997 12:25 AST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The pilot departed a private airstrip after performing a stop-and-go landing in a home built airplane. The airplane climbed to about 200 ft above the ground, and the pilot heard a loud popping sound. The engine quit running, and a turn was made toward a nearby road. The pilot made an emergency landing on the road, but the right wing struck a tree during the landing roll. The engine was a modified automotive engine. The propeller was not directly bolted to the crankshaft of the engine. The design used a reduction gearbox between the crankshaft and the propeller. The design allowed the propeller to free-wheel when not being powered by the engine. The manufacturer indicated the fuel system used a throttle body injection that would operate on as little as 1/2 psi, and gravity flow from wing mounted fuel tanks was sufficient to allow the engine to operate at 75 percent power. The fuel system used an electric fuel pump to supply fuel pressure to the throttle body fuel injection for cold starting. The pump was electrically powered via an electrical jumper wire from the battery bus to the pump. The pilot indicated that during a postaccident examination of the airplane, he found the electrical jumper wire broken. The pilot also indicated an overly lean mixture condition would have resulted when the engine was operated at full power without the fuel pump.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

a broken electrical wire, which resulted in an inoperative electrical fuel pump, an overly lean mixture, fuel starvation, and loss of engine power.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 3/22/1997
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1225
Event Time Zone Atlantic Standard Time
Event City WASILLA
Event State ALASKA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 99687
Event Date Year 1997
Event Date Month 3
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport WOLF LAKE AIRSTRIP
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 45
Airport Elevation 450
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Pilot
Time of the weather observation 0
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 50
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 1
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 0
Wind Velocity Indicator Calm
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
Density Altitude (feet) --
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) 909
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Mar 22 1997 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1243
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 8 2000 12:09PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N9KF
NTSB Number ANC97LA036
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 Williams
Aircraft Model KITFOX
Aircraft Series Identifier KITFOX
Aircraft Serial Number 134
Certified Max Gross Weight 1200
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 Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Mar 2 1997 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 3
Airframe Hours 340
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name DAVID M. WILLIAMS
Aircraft Owner Street Address P.O. BOX 771128
Aircraft Owner City EAGLE RIVER
Aircraft Owner State AK
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 99577
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 1225
Departure Time Zone AST
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Emergency landing
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:34AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 6
Runway Length 2400
Runway Width 50
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --