Rutan LONG-EZ N23RY

Summary

On 14 June 1986 at about 23:29 local time, a Rutan LONG-EZ registered N23RY was involved in an accident near Cedar Hill, Texas, United States. 2 people were on board and one was seriously injured, one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

14 June 1986 at 23:29

Classification

Accident

Location

Cedar Hill, Texas, United States

Coordinates

32.5801, -96.9505

Aircraft

Rutan LONG-EZ

Registration

N23RY

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Waco → Addison

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW86FPA22

1 person was seriously injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF AND LEVELING OFF AT 3000 FT MSL, THE PLT SWITCHED FUEL TANKS. APRX 20 MINUTES INTO THE FLT A TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER WAS EXPERIENCED. THE PLT ATTEMPTED TO LAND IN A FIELD; HOWEVER, THE ACFT CONTACTED POWER LINES DURING THE DESCENT. CONTROL OF THE ACFT WAS LOST AND THE ACFT CONTACTED THE TERRAIN IN A NOSE LOW ATTITUDE, COMING TO REST INVERTED. THE ENGINE WAS TESTED AND OPERATED NORMALLY AFTER THE ACCIDENT. THE ONLY DISCREPANCY NOTED WAS THE FINGER TIGHT FUEL LINE FITTINGS AT THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE. HOWEVER, IT WAS NOT DETERMINED IF THE FITTINGS WERE LOOSE PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. DURING THE TEST THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE WAS BYPASSED DUE TO BROKEN FUEL LINES. THEREFORE, IT WAS NOT DETERMINED WHETHER OR NOT THE LOOSE FITTINGS WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN THE LOSS OF POWER EXPERIENCED.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.