ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 245414
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| Date: | Sunday 6 December 2020 |
| Time: | 17:18 LT |
| Type: |  Ercoupe 415-C |
| Owner/operator: | Registration Pending |
| Registration: | N2674H |
| MSN: | 3299 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1946 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 1474 hours |
| Engine model: | Continental C-85-12F |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | South Boston, VA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | South Boston, VA |
| South Boston, VA | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
During cruise flight, the engine lost total power and the pilot performed a forced landing to a road, during which the right wing sustained substantial damage. Subsequent examination of the engine revealed the failure of a fuel filter screen cover gasket from the fuel transfer pump, which transferred fuel from the wings to the header fuel tank. The failure allowed the fuel transfer pump to draw in air rather than fuel. Given this information, it is likely the engine consumed all the fuel in the fuel header tank, and the fuel was not replaced with fuel in the wings due to the transfer pump anomaly.
When the failed gasket was replaced with a new gasket, the engine started normally, and the fuel transfer pump operated normally. Further examination of the failed gasket revealed that the gasket was damaged, likely during installation at the most recent annual inspection about 4 months before the accident. Additionally, the sight gauge for the fuel header tank was cloudy and was an unapproved part, which obscured viewing of the fuel level in the fuel header tank and likely prevented the pilot from recognizing that the fuel was not transferring properly from the wing tanks.
Probable Cause: The improper installation of a fuel filter screen cover gasket, which resulted in its failure, fuel starvation, and a subsequent total loss of engine power during cruise flight. Contributing to the accident was the unapproved fuel sight gauge, which obscured the pilot's view of the fuel level in the fuel header tank.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB ERA21LA062
FAA register: https://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/Search/NNumberResult
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 07-Dec-2020 17:03 | Geno | Added |
| 14-Oct-2022 12:30 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Other fatalities, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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