Roe-Wayne MUSTANG II N11WJ

Summary

On 18 June 1997 at about 17:55 local time, a Roe-Wayne MUSTANG II registered N11WJ was involved in an accident near Portage, Michigan, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

18 June 1997 at 17:55

Classification

Accident

Location

Portage, Michigan, United States

Nearest airport

Austin Lakes (09C)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Roe-Wayne MUSTANG II

Registration

N11WJ

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI97LA171

1 person was seriously injured.

inadequate fuel system design by the owner/builder, which led to fuel starvation as the airplane was on a 'flat' approach to land. The pilot's inadequate flight planning was a factor, in that he did not fly the traffic pattern of this first test flight, in a manner that would allow for gliding to a landing, in the event of a loss of engine power.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The experimental airplane was on its first test flight. A witness said he saw the airplane on a '...flat...' approach toward the landing runway. He said he saw the wings banking left and right shortly before the airplane pitched down and collided with trees. A second witness said he saw the airplane settling '...faster than [it] should.' The investigation revealed no anomalies with the flight control system, engine or ignition system that would prevent flight. Fuel was found in the fuselage fuel tank. No fuel was observed in the undamaged engine-driven or electric fuel pumps or in the fuel line between the fuel servo and flow divider. The fuselage fuel tank vent was mounted on the bottom of the fuselage with its angled end facing aft. The fuel servo was bench flow checked and it met the manufacturer's flow specifications. The engine-driven and electric fuel pumps were hooked up in-line between the fuel strainer and engine.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.