Zenith ZODIAC CH-650 N914AR

Summary

On 8 December 2019 at about 21:15 local time, a Zenith ZODIAC CH-650 registered N914AR was involved in an accident near Willow Springs, Missouri, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

8 December 2019 at 21:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Willow Springs, Missouri, United States

Nearest airport

Willow Springs Memorial (1H5)

Coordinates

36.9842, -91.9556

Aircraft

Zenith ZODIAC CH-650

Registration

N914AR

Category

Airplane

Year built

2012

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Willow Springs → Willow Springs

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA20LA050

1 person had minor injuries.

Improper maintenance practices on the fuel system causing fuel starvation and a total loss of engine power.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the pilot of the experimental, amateur-built airplane, he was taking the airplane out for a test flight after making some adjustments to the propeller blade angles. During the initial climb, the engine lost power, restarted on its own and lost power again. The pilot turned back to the airport, but the airplane could not reach the runway and he conducted a forced landing off-field, which resulted in substantial damage to the airplane. Examination of the airplane by a certified mechanic revealed that the fuel pump was weak on pressure and the electric fuel pump was installed incorrectly between the engine driven pump and the carburetor. The fuel flow meter was installed using pipe fittings connected to flare fittings. All fittings were finger tight. These discrepancies were consistent with improper maintenance practices on the fuel system and likely resulted in a reduction in fuel flow during the initial climb after takeoff, and a loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.