Starck AURIGA N311RS

Summary

On 11 April 1998 at about 22:45 local time, a Starck AURIGA registered N311RS, operated by Camp Excelisor, was involved in an accident near Collegedale, Tennessee, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

11 April 1998 at 22:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Collegedale, Tennessee, United States

Nearest airport

Collegedale Municipal (3M3)

Coordinates

35.0508, -85.0508

Aircraft

Starck AURIGA

Registration

N311RS

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Camp Excelisor

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA98LA130

1 person died.

A leak in the electric fuel boost pump caused by an improperly sized 'O' ring installation and the pilot's failure to maintain airspeed during an approach to a forced landing resulting in a stall.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The aircraft was observed to climb steeply after takeoff and enter a downwind leg for landing. Witnesses heard the aircraft's engine lose power and the pilot transmitted on the Unicom frequency that he had an engine out. The pilot rolled the aircraft to a steep bank angle to enter a base leg and then a final leg. The aircraft overshot the final approach course and the pilot continued to use a steep bank in an attempt to get onto final. As the aircraft approached the final course it rolled rapidly to an inverted position and crashed on a street. The engine was heard to accelerate just prior to impact. Post-crash examination of the engine, propeller, and engine fuel system showed no evidence of pre-crash mechanical failure or malfunction. The electric fuel boost pump switch was found in the on position after the accident. The pump did not operate after the accident. An examination of the pump revealed that the negative power wire had been pulled from the pump motor and was missing. A replacement wire was installed and the motor operated normally. The pump portion of the unit was tested and found to leak from the pump drain. An incorrect O-ring was found installed in the pump. The correct O-ring was installed and the pump operated normally. The manufacturer of the pump reported that the incorrect O-ring would result in the engine-driven fuel pump drawing air into the engine fuel system. Witnesses stated to an FAA inspector that the aircraft had an engine failure several weeks before the accident due to an electric fuel boost pump failure and that the pilot had made repairs to the pump prior to the accident flight.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.