Frandsen MIDGET MUSTANG MM-1 N76JF

Summary

On 30 June 1998 at about 03:00 local time, a Frandsen MIDGET MUSTANG MM-1 registered N76JF was involved in an accident near Tracy, California, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

30 June 1998 at 03:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Tracy, California, United States

Nearest airport

Tracy Municipal (TCY)

Coordinates

37.7299, -121.4198

Aircraft

Frandsen MIDGET MUSTANG MM-1

Registration

N76JF

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

LAX98FA208

1 person died.

inadequate maintenance/inspection by the owner/pilot that resulted in an obstructed fuel vent system and a subsequent loss of engine power during takeoff.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The experimental airplane was on climbout following a touch-and-go landing. During the climb, the engine began sputtering and lost power. The airplane leveled off momentarily and then began a steep left turn back toward the runway. During the turn, the airplane descended and collided with a power line. The engine had lost power in flight on several prior occasions. The airplane was not equipped with a fuel boost pump or an engine-driven fuel pump. The fuel tank was mounted in the fuselage, immediately forward of the instrument panel with no accumulator tank. The headspace between the fuel tank and the carburetor was reduced whenever the airplane's pitch attitude increased. A minimum of 0.5 pounds of fuel pressure at the carburetor inlet is required for operation of the engine. The minimum flow volume required for engine operation is not specified. The tank had a single, under wing vent line. Dirt and a piece of plastic were found lodged in the 90-degree elbow of the fuel tank vent line at the point where the line enters the tank. The dirt had formed a ball and was located on the tank side of the piece of plastic. The fuel tank was also equipped with a vented fuel cap that was found in place; however, the vent hole in the cap had been covered with gray silicon sealant.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.