Enbody Frank GY 201 MINICAB N416FC

Summary

On 24 March 2012 at about 23:24 local time, a Enbody Frank GY 201 MINICAB registered N416FC, operated by Enbody Frank R, was involved in an accident near Granite Shoals, Texas, United States. 2 people were on board and one died, 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

24 March 2012 at 23:24

Classification

Accident

Location

Granite Shoals, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Sunrise Beach Airport (2KL)

Coordinates

30.5931, -98.3942

Aircraft

Enbody Frank GY 201 MINICAB

Registration

N416FC

Category

Airplane

Year built

1994

Engines

1

Operator

Enbody Frank R

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Sunrise Beach → Sunrise Beach

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN12LA203

1 person died.

A loss of engine power due to fuel starvation as a result of a contaminated carburetor fuel screen. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's impairment from medications that degraded his decision-making and the pilot's improper maintenance of the airplane.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Witnesses reported seeing the airplane within a mile of the departure airport and hearing the engine sputter before a total loss of engine power. One witness stated that it sounded like the engine was starved of fuel. The airplane then descended and impacted a tree and terrain. A postaccident examination of the amateur-built airplane revealed that about 75 percent of the carburetor fuel screen was blocked by dirt and debris, which would have decreased the fuel flow to the engine, resulting in a partial loss of engine power. The examination also revealed that duct tape was used to patch holes in the fabric skin and on a fuel line connection, and "C" clamps that were used to support the wing rib to spar attachments. The airplane's logbooks were not recovered during the investigation; however, the overall condition of the airplane suggests that it had not been properly maintained. The level of postmortem ethanol detected in the pilot's blood, urine, and vitreous fluid would have caused significant impairment; however, the pilot was soaked in gasoline as a result of the accident and postmortem exposure to gasoline containing ethanol has been shown to result in positive ethanol results. Therefore, it cannot be determined what portion, if any, of the ethanol found post mortem was from ingestion. The pilot's impairment from both hydrocodone and tramadol most likely degraded his decision-making ability.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.