Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Grant Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Grant, Michigan 49327
Monday, May 20, 2002 18:50 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The airplane was substantially damaged following a total non-mechanical loss of engine power during a climbout in an experimental amateur built airplane which had not flown for approximately two years. It was the pilot's first flight in the accident airplane. The pilot planned to fly three low approaches to familiarize himself with the airplane. The engine quit during climbout following the second planned approach at the destination airport. The pilot then executed a turn back to the airport and stalled the airplane over a wooded area. The airplane's parachute recovery system was deployed, and the airplane descended into the wooded area. Prior to the flight, the pilot was told by the mechanic, who signed off a condition inspection on the airplane, to replace the fuel lines on the airplane, but the pilot stated he would change the fuel lines when he arrived at the destination airport. Examination of the fuel line revealed a crack in the line between the fuel tanks and the fuel sump.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The disregarded replacement of the airplane's fuel lines, the operation of the aircraft with known deficiencies, and the turn back to the departure airport by the owner/pilot. The inadequate condition inspection by the mechanic, the cracked fuel line, the trees, and the pilot's lack of experience in the airplane type were contributing factors.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/20/2002 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1850 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Grant |
| Event State | MICHIGAN |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 49327 |
| Event Date Year | 2002 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | -- |
| Event Location Longitude | -- |
| Event Location Airport | GRANT |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 01C |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1.5 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 45 |
| Airport Elevation | 815 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1855 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 60 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | MKG |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 628 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 30 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 6000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 7 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -3 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 350 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.36 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 12336 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | May 20 2002 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2155 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 24 2002 3:20PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Grand Rapids FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N5143C |
| NTSB Number | CHI02LA139 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Wattier |
| Aircraft Model | Tornado |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 9258250HK0036 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1000 |
| 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 | Conditional |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 20 2002 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 0 |
| Airframe Hours | 210 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Kris J. Bawtinheimer |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 913 Crosby NW, Apt. 2 |
| Aircraft Owner City | Grand Rapids |
| Aircraft Owner State | MI |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 49504 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| 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? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Airport Code | 24M |
| Departure City | Kent City |
| Departure State | MI |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1830 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | 01C |
| Destination City | Grant |
| Destination State | MI |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 17 2002 4:05PM |
| User who most recently changed record | SULP |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 09 |
| Runway Length | 2517 |
| Runway Width | 120 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |