Lawwill Ted ZODIAC 601XL N601LP

Summary

On 29 June 2010 at about 19:30 local time, a Lawwill Ted ZODIAC 601XL registered N601LP was involved in an accident near Waddy, Kentucky, United States. 2 people were 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

29 June 2010 at 19:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Waddy, Kentucky, United States

Coordinates

38.0992, -85.0231

Aircraft

Lawwill Ted ZODIAC 601XL

Registration

N601LP

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Frankfort → Waddy

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA10CA353

Nobody was injured.

A loss of engine power due to fuel starvation for undetermined reasons.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The certificated flight instructor (CFI) stated that he was the pilot-in-command and safety pilot because the other pilot had not flown in about eight months. Preflight inspection of the airplane revealed each fuel tank was half full, which was adequate for the planned one hour flight plus a reserve. After takeoff, the flight proceeded to another airport, where two uneventful touch-and-go practice takeoff and landings were performed. The pilots then elected to return to the original departure airstrip flying about 800 feet above ground level. During the return flight, the CFI noticed that the single fuel gauge, which only indicated fuel quantity from the selected tank, indicated less than one quarter tank of fuel remaining in the left tank. He then selected the right tank to supply the engine. The engine operated normally for less than a minute before beginning to sputter. The CFI immediately switched back to the left fuel tank, turned on the electric fuel pump, and applied carburetor heat. The engine regained power and the airplane began to climb, but the engine subsequently experienced a total loss of power. During the descent, the CFI switched to the right tank again. The engine did not regain power and the performed a forced landing to a grassy hill. During landing, the nose gear sheared and one wing incurred substantial damage. At the time of the airplane's wreckage recovery, no fuel was noted in the left tank and about eight gallons of fuel was drained from the right fuel tank; there was no breach of fuel lines or fuel tanks. The fuel strainer contained fuel; however, there was no fuel at the fuel selector valve located in the cockpit or in fuel lines from the fuel strainer to the engine. The CFI opined that the engine lost power due to the left tank becoming exhausted of fuel, which introduced air into the fuel supply system. A subsequent ground test indicated that with the electric pump on, the supply system should have been purged of air in about three seconds.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.