Hewitt CASSUTT 3M N290E

Summary

On 4 July 1996 at about 02:15 local time, a Hewitt CASSUTT 3M registered N290E was involved in an accident near Vermillion, South Dakota, 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

4 July 1996 at 02:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Vermillion, South Dakota, United States

Nearest airport

Harold Davidson Field (VMR)

Coordinates

42.7806, -96.9208

Aircraft

Hewitt CASSUTT 3M

Registration

N290E

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI96LA229

1 person had minor injuries.

the failure of the unapproved fuel pump.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The accident occurred during a test flight after the pilot made some adjustments to the engine. The engine operated normally during the flight. He returned to the airport and did one touch-and-go. He reported that he landed hard and bounced the airplane. He applied full throttle to go around. At about 500 feet the engine quit. He made an emergency landing in a bean field. The pilot reported that the engine installed on the experimental aircraft was designed for use as a ground power unit. The fuel pump on the engine was the original fuel pump and had not been certified for flight. The pilot reported that the fuel pump had a vacuum leak. He reported that the valve would not seat and did not create the necessary suction.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.