Frew ZODIAC 601XL N20370

Summary

On 18 June 2007 at about 13:55 local time, a Frew ZODIAC 601XL registered N20370 was involved in an accident near Oxford, Mississippi, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

18 June 2007 at 13:55

Classification

Accident

Location

Oxford, Mississippi, United States

Coordinates

34.3506, -89.5198

Aircraft

Frew ZODIAC 601XL

Registration

N20370

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Ferry

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Sylacauga → Helena

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DFW07LA144

1 person was seriously injured.

The loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The 250-hour private pilot was on a 234-mile cross-country flight when the engine of his recently purchased experimental airplane lost power. The pilot attempted to restore engine power, but was not successful. During the forced landing, the airplane collided with trees on the crest of a hill and slid to the ground. The pilot was unable to egress from the airplane until rescuers found him 2 days after the accident. The pilot reported that he purchased the airplane the day prior to the accident flight, and had test flown the airplane for 0.7 hours. The pilot operated the aircraft's engine at "full throttle" during the test flight. The pilot calculated a fuel consumption of 6 gallons per hour at full power and planned the cross-country flight accordingly. A review of a engine operator's manual showed a fuel consumption rate of 6 gallons per hour at about the 66% rated power setting. Per the manual and at full throttle, the engine could have consumed as much as 10.6 gallons per hour. A post-accident inspection of the engine and airframe was conducted. The airplane fuel tanks were ruptured and no fuel was found in the fuel lines and no fuel stains were found on the aircraft's exterior. The total fuel capacity of the airplane was established at 24 gallons. All components of the engine were inspected and no discrepancies were noted. According to the airplane's "Hobbs" meter, the airframe had accumulated a total of 12.9 hours. The reason for the reported loss of engine power was not determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.