Swertfeger VELOCITY 173 ELITE N627KB

Summary

On 18 December 1999 at about 15:17 local time, a Swertfeger VELOCITY 173 ELITE registered N627KB was involved in an accident near Murfreesboro, Tennessee, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

18 December 1999 at 15:17

Classification

Accident

Location

Murfreesboro, Tennessee, United States

Coordinates

35.8495, -86.3903

Aircraft

Swertfeger VELOCITY 173 ELITE

Registration

N627KB

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Decatur → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA00LA053

1 person died.

The failure of an unknown maintenance person to comply with an Airworthiness Directive (replace center body bellows seal assembly and tube bushings) and Service Bulletin (replace fuel diaphragm) resulting in an in-flight power loss due to an over rich condition caused by the failure of the center body bellows seal assembly, and subsequent forced landing and in-flight collision with terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was on approach for landing when the airplane experienced a total loss of engine power, and crashed during a forced landing. Examination of the airframe and engine assembly revealed no evidence of a precrash mechanical failure or malfunction. Visual inspection of the spark plugs revealed very black and sooty. Fuel was present in the flow divider but was not present in the line between the fuel servo and flow divider. The servo fuel injector was removed and examined. The fuel diaphragm had not been replaced. The servo fuel injector was placed in a test bench and a functional test performed. Fuel was pouring out of the venturi causing erratic air flow through the regulator and erratic air flow. The air cover and diaphragm was removed to determine the source of the fuel leak. The fuel diaphragm stem was bent. The center body was removed with the fuel diaphragm attached to the center body bellows. The bottom calibration nut was removed from the fuel diaphragm stem. The fuel diaphragm was removed from the bellows and a leakage check was performed. The bellows was split and air was leaking through the bellows. Appropriate AD's and SB's had not been complied with resulting in an in-flight power loss due to an over rich condition.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.