Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Virginia, Minnesota 55792
Saturday, June 15, 2002 14:00 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

While in cruise flight the amateur built airplane impacted a bird which severed the fuel primer line and its supply line, resulting in an in-flight fire and loss of engine power. The pilot reported, "I made a steep, descending right turn back to the lakebed." The pilot stated that during landing the "right main entered a wet area and dug in and flipped the plane onto its back." The airplane was destroyed during a post-impact fire. The pilot reported that he found the charred remains of a bird among the engine remains. The pilot stated that the propeller spinner had impact damage and the fuel primer line and its supply line were severed.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

An in-flight collision with a bird that resulted in severed fuel lines and the subsequent in-flight fire and loss of engine power. A factor in the accident was the soft terrain condition.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 6/15/2002
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1400
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City Virginia
Event State MINNESOTA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 55792
Event Date Year 2002
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 Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1356 Central Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 180
Weather Observation Facility ID EVM
Elevation of weather observation facility 1378
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 8
Time Zone of the weather observation CDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height --
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 6500
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) 20
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 4
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 350
Variable Wind Indicator Wind direction could be determined
Wind Speed (knots) 10
Wind Velocity Indicator --
Wind Gust Indicator Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 20
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29.88
Density Altitude (feet) 2345
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) 12961
NTSB Notification Source FAA
NTSB Notification Date Jun 15 2002 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1842
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information DMS
Date of most recent change to record Apr 18 2003 4:28PM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\MONR
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office Federal Aviation Administration MSP FSDO

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N598HL
NTSB Number CHI02LA165
Missing Aircraft Indicator --
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? No
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire Ground and In-flight
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Firm
Aircraft Model Kit Fox 4-1200
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number 1734
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 Conditional
Date of Last Inspection May 8 2002 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 47
Airframe Hours 398
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name Howard T Firm
Aircraft Owner Street Address 508 12th St. S
Aircraft Owner City Virginia
Aircraft Owner State MN
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 55792
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 12D
Departure City Tower
Departure State MN
Departure Country USA
Departure Time 1350
Departure Time Zone CDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code EVM
Destination City Eveleth
Destination State MN
Destination Country USA
Specific Phase of Flight Cruise
Report sent to ICAO? No
Evacuation occurred No
Date of most recent change to record Jan 30 2003 9:38AM
User who most recently changed record SULP
Since inspection or accident Time of Accident
Event Location Runway Number and Location --
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --