Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Spanish Fork-Springville Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Spanish Fork, Utah 84660
Tuesady, March 12, 2013 13:30 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
During the en route portion of the flight, the airplane experienced fuel flow problems, which were temporarily alleviated when the fuel system boost pump was on the high-boost setting. As the pilot neared the destination airport, he reduced the engine power; the engine experienced a total loss of power. The pilot performed a forced landing in a field about 1,500 feet from the runway. During the landing roll, the airplane nosed over inverted, and the wings separated from the fuselage. The postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the electric boost pump would operate when the high-boost switch was selected. However, when the low-boost switch was selected, it would not operate due to a malfunctioning resistor. The significance of the anomalies with the electric boost pump on the overall fuel flow to the engine is unknown because the engine-driven fuel pump was functionally tested and was capable of providing adequate fuel delivery. Further testing revealed that when the electric boost pump was turned off and under suction, as would occur when the engine-driven pump was trying to draw fuel without the use of the electric boost pump, the electric boost pump introduced air into the fuel system through the worn shaft on the pump. The air would likely hinder the engine-driven pump from producing enough suction and starve the engine of fuel.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A loss of engine power due to fuel starvation, which likely resulted from air being introduced into the fuel system through the worn shaft of an electric fuel boost pump.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/12/2013 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1330 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | Spanish Fork |
| Event State | UTAH |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 84660 |
| Event Date Year | 2013 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 400833N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1113951W |
| Event Location Airport | Spanish Fork-Springville |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | U77 |
| 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 | 4230 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1355 Mountain Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 110 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PVU |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 4497 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 5 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 15000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 800 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 15 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 13 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -1 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.28 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR KPVU 122155Z VRB04KT 15SM SCT080 BKN150 13/M |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| 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) | 33125 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Regional Operations Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 26 2014 7:51PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kelz |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N61RA |
| NTSB Number | WPR13LA147 |
| 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 | FRANKLIN |
| Aircraft Model | GLASAIR II |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 761 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2200 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| Flight Crew Seats | 2 |
| 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 | Sep 12 2012 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 18 |
| Airframe Hours | 109 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Joel Skousen |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Parkdale |
| Aircraft Owner State | OR |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 97041 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | Joel Skousen |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Parkdale |
| Operator State | OR |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 97041 |
| 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 | LAS |
| Departure City | Las Vegas |
| Departure State | NV |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1200 |
| Departure Time Zone | PST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | U77 |
| Destination City | Spanish Fork |
| Destination State | UT |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 12 2014 2:07PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |