Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
N/A Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Venus, Florida 33960
Wednesday, April 2, 2014 20:55 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
On April 2, 2014, about 2055 eastern daylight time, an experimental, amateur-built Zenith CH-750, N938VP, experienced a total loss of engine power while in cruise flight near Venus, Florida. The pilot subsequently made an off airport forced landing to a pasture and the airplane sustained substantial damage to the forward portion of the fuselage, both wings, and the rudder.. The certificated private pilot and passenger were not injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by, a private individual under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the flight which departed from Lakeland Linder Regional Airport (LAL), Lakeland, Florida, about 1900, with an intended destination of LaBelle Municipal Airport (X14), LaBelle, Florida.
The pilot reported that prior to departure the fuel gauges indicated approximately three-fourths full for both the left and right fuel tanks; however, he did not visual inspect the fuel quantity. During the off airport landing the airplane encountered some brush, which separated the nose wheel from the airplane, the airplane nosed over, and came to rest inverted. He further reported that after the airplane came to rest the fuel selector valve was selected from the "ON" position to the "OFF" position.
Postaccident examination by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the left fuel tank was devoid of fuel and the right fuel tank had approximately 6 gallons of fuel remaining. The fuel line to the carburetor was removed, the fuel selector valve was placed in the "ON" position, and fuel flowed freely with no debris or restriction noted. The vented fuel caps were examined and no blockage was noted around the hole or vents.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/2/2014 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 2055 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Venus |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 33960 |
| Event Date Year | 2014 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 265817N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0813013W |
| Event Location Airport | N/A |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | -- |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2053 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 263 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KPGD |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 25 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 26 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| 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) | 22 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 16 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.16 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | -- |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Southern C-ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 17 2014 10:49AM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N938VP |
| NTSB Number | ERA14LA183 |
| 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 | ROBERT J REIMBOLD |
| Aircraft Model | ZENITH CH 750 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 75-8566 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1320 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| 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 | Mar 5 2014 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 70 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | REIMBOLD ROBERT J |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | MOORE HAVEN |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 334714802 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | REIMBOLD ROBERT J |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | MOORE HAVEN |
| Operator State | FL |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 334714802 |
| 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 | LAL |
| Departure City | Lakeland |
| Departure State | FL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1900 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | X14 |
| Destination City | La Belle |
| Destination State | FL |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 17 2014 10:50AM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |