Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
N/A Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Sonoma, California 95476
Wednesday, September 24, 2014 14:15 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot stated that about 10 minutes after departing, with the airplane configured for cruise flight at about 2,000 feet above ground level (agl), the engine experienced a loss of power. The airplane began to descend and the pilot spotted a road to perform an emergency landing. Around 750 feet agl the pilot then turned on the fuel wing tank valves, but the engine failed to restart. The road became obscured by trees due to an s-bend and as he descended closer, he observed a vehicle ahead. As he turned away from the road, the airplane struck power lines that were along the road. The airframe structure was substantially damaged.
The pilot later stated that he believed that the engine experienced a loss of power due to the fuel valves being off on the wing tanks. The system was designed as such that each wing tank had a shut off valve prior to the fuel reaching a five gallon header tank. He thought it was likely that the airplane was able to depart and be in cruise for the 10 minute duration by exhausting all of the fuel that was in the header tank. The pilot reported no pre impact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's inadequate fuel management which resulted in an engine failure due to fuel starvation and subsequent collision with power lines during the forced landing.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/24/2014 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1415 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Sonoma |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 95476 |
| Event Date Year | 2014 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 381323N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1222132W |
| Event Location Airport | N/A |
| 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 | 4 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 120 |
| Airport Elevation | 20 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Unknown |
| Time of the weather observation | |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | -- |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | -- |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 3000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Thin Overcast |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -- |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 2 |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 33523 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Comm Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 4 2014 6:51PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N99FL |
| NTSB Number | WPR14CA388 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| 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 | LUNDAK ROBERT |
| Aircraft Model | KITFOX IV |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | IV |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1570 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1200 |
| 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 | -- |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Conditional |
| Date of Last Inspection | Aug 13 2014 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 601 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Yes |
| ELT Type | C126 |
| Aircraft Owner Name | GEORGE R MENDONCA |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | SAN MATEO |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 944012742 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | GEORGE R MENDONCA |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | SAN MATEO |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 944012742 |
| 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 | -- |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | 0Q9 |
| Departure City | SONOMA |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1355 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | HWD |
| Destination City | HAYWARD |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 4 2014 6:54PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |