Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Corvallis, Oregon 97330
Sunday, June 21, 1998 15:30 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
During the assembly of the home-built aircraft, its wet-wing fuel tanks were sloshed with a sealer (Randolph #802) that is not compatible with alcohol fuel additives. During the aircraft's three week engine test run and test flight sequence, Jet-A fuel containing an ethanol fuel additive (Prist) was in its fuel tanks. This resulted in the sloshing compound debonding from the fuel tank walls and partially blocking an in-line fuel filter. Because of this blockage, approximately 25 minutes into the fourth test flight, the aircraft experienced a total loss of power. During the subsequent forced landing, the aircraft nosed over when one of its wings became entangled in tall vegetation. During the investigation it was determined that the owner/builder, the test pilot, representatives of the company that helped mate the engine to the airframe, and the supplier of the engine/propeller/gearbox assembly, all of whom were present for the ground run and test flight sequence on that day, were not aware that an alcohol fuel additive may be present in some Jet-A fuel at the time of purchase.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The introduction of a fuel containing an ethanol additive into fuel tanks sloshed/sealed with a compound incompatible with alcohols, resulting in debonding of the compound from the fuel tank walls, leading to partial blockage of an in-line fuel filter, and a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation. Factors include an inadequate preflight and tall vegetation in the field where the forced landing was attempted.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/21/1998 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1530 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | CORVALLIS |
| Event State | OREGON |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 97330 |
| Event Date Year | 1998 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| 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 | 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) | 20 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 25 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 280 |
| 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) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 851 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 21 1998 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2000 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2000 11:33AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N50TX |
| NTSB Number | SEA98FA109 |
| 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 | Nolley |
| Aircraft Model | BD-5T |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | BD-5T |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 629 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| 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 | -- |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 1 1996 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 8 |
| Airframe Hours | 8 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | MELL B. NOLLEY |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O. BOX 804 |
| Aircraft Owner City | CASTRIES |
| Aircraft Owner State | CB |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | |
| 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 | CVO |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | OR |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1505 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| 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 | Maneuvering |
| 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 | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |