Nolley BD-5T N50TX

Summary

On 21 June 1998 at about 22:30 local time, a Nolley BD-5T registered N50TX was involved in an accident near Corvallis, Oregon, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

21 June 1998 at 22:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Corvallis, Oregon, United States

Coordinates

44.6308, -123.2697

Aircraft

Nolley BD-5T

Registration

N50TX

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA98FA109

Nobody was injured.

The introduction of a fuel containing an ethanol additive into fuel tanks sloshed/sealed with a compound incompatible with alcohols, resulting in debonding of the compound from the fuel tank walls, leading to partial blockage of an in-line fuel filter, and a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation. Factors include an inadequate preflight and tall vegetation in the field where the forced landing was attempted.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During the assembly of the home-built aircraft, its wet-wing fuel tanks were sloshed with a sealer (Randolph #802) that is not compatible with alcohol fuel additives. During the aircraft's three week engine test run and test flight sequence, Jet-A fuel containing an ethanol fuel additive (Prist) was in its fuel tanks. This resulted in the sloshing compound debonding from the fuel tank walls and partially blocking an in-line fuel filter. Because of this blockage, approximately 25 minutes into the fourth test flight, the aircraft experienced a total loss of power. During the subsequent forced landing, the aircraft nosed over when one of its wings became entangled in tall vegetation. During the investigation it was determined that the owner/builder, the test pilot, representatives of the company that helped mate the engine to the airframe, and the supplier of the engine/propeller/gearbox assembly, all of whom were present for the ground run and test flight sequence on that day, were not aware that an alcohol fuel additive may be present in some Jet-A fuel at the time of purchase.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.