Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Collegedale Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Collegedale, Tennessee 37315
Saturday, April 11, 1998 18:45 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The aircraft was observed to climb steeply after takeoff and enter a downwind leg for landing. Witnesses heard the aircraft's engine lose power and the pilot transmitted on the Unicom frequency that he had an engine out. The pilot rolled the aircraft to a steep bank angle to enter a base leg and then a final leg. The aircraft overshot the final approach course and the pilot continued to use a steep bank in an attempt to get onto final. As the aircraft approached the final course it rolled rapidly to an inverted position and crashed on a street. The engine was heard to accelerate just prior to impact. Post-crash examination of the engine, propeller, and engine fuel system showed no evidence of pre-crash mechanical failure or malfunction. The electric fuel boost pump switch was found in the on position after the accident. The pump did not operate after the accident. An examination of the pump revealed that the negative power wire had been pulled from the pump motor and was missing. A replacement wire was installed and the motor operated normally. The pump portion of the unit was tested and found to leak from the pump drain. An incorrect O-ring was found installed in the pump. The correct O-ring was installed and the pump operated normally. The manufacturer of the pump reported that the incorrect O-ring would result in the engine-driven fuel pump drawing air into the engine fuel system. Witnesses stated to an FAA inspector that the aircraft had an engine failure several weeks before the accident due to an electric fuel boost pump failure and that the pilot had made repairs to the pump prior to the accident flight.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A leak in the electric fuel boost pump caused by an improperly sized 'O' ring installation and the pilot's failure to maintain airspeed during an approach to a forced landing resulting in a stall.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/11/1998 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1845 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | COLLEGEDALE |
| Event State | TENNESSEE |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 37315 |
| Event Date Year | 1998 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | COLLEGEDALE MUNICIPAL |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 3M3 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 210 |
| Airport Elevation | 860 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1753 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 270 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | CHA |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 682 |
| 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 | 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) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 19 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 0 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 330 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 9 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 0 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1575 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 11 1998 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1925 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2000 11:10AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N311RS |
| NTSB Number | MIA98LA130 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Starck |
| Aircraft Model | AURIGA |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | AURIGA |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 028 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3200 |
| 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 | May 5 1997 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | ROBERT L. STARCK |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 3154 FLAMINGO BLVD. |
| Aircraft Owner City | SPRING HILL |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 34607 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | CAMP EXCELISOR |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | P.O. BOX 24053 |
| Operator City | CHATTANOOGA |
| Operator State | TN |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 37422 |
| 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 | 3M3 |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1843 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| 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 | Approach |
| 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 | 3 |
| Runway Length | 4700 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |