Dubis TEAM MINIMAX N4335W

Summary

On 16 November 1996 at about 19:10 local time, a Dubis TEAM MINIMAX registered N4335W was involved in an accident near North Adams, Massachusetts, United States. One person was 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

16 November 1996 at 19:10

Classification

Accident

Location

North Adams, Massachusetts, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Dubis TEAM MINIMAX

Registration

N4335W

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Pittsfield

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC97LA018

Nobody was injured.

fuel contamination, which resulted in a loss of engine power. Factors relating to the accident were: the lack of a drain in the fuel system to properly check the fuel before flight, and the pilot's failure (or inability) to detect the contaminated fuel.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that the engine lost total power while in cruise flight at 2100 feet, and he attempted a forced landing. According to the pilot, when he made his approach to a designated field, he realized that he had overshot it. He then saw another nearby field, and headed for it. As he approached, he tried to pass through a clearing in a tree line bordering the field. As the airplane went through the tree line, its left wing hit a tree, which spun the plane around. The plane then landed in the Hoosac River. Examination revealed that the fuel was dark in color and contained particles of an undetermined composition. There was no provision for sumping fuel to check for water or other contaminants.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.