Classic S-51D N25VV

Summary

On 20 May 1999 at about 18:05 local time, a Classic S-51D registered N25VV was involved in an accident near Tamarac, Florida, 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

20 May 1999 at 18:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Tamarac, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Fort Lauderdale Executive (FXE)

Coordinates

26.1906, -80.1696

Aircraft

Classic S-51D

Registration

N25VV

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Ft. Lauderdale → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA99FA159

1 person died.

A complete loss of engine power caused by the malfunctioning landing gear, which blocked the radiator scoop, leading to increased fuel temperature and the subsequent vapor lock condition and fuel blockage. A secondary cause was the pilot's failure to maintain flying speed resulting in the subsequent stall/mush

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

On the morning of the accident the airplane had flown for about 1.2 hours, landed, was refueled, and shut down for a an unknown period of time. After start up the pilot taxied to the active runway, and was delayed in taking off by ATC, due to traffic. The time between engine start and takeoff was about 16 minutes. About 11 nautical miles west of the airport, the pilot radioed the control tower that he was having a problem raising the landing gear and he wanted to return to the airport. The pilot then radioed that he had lost the engine. Radar and radio contact was lost shortly thereafter. A witness heard the engine losing power, and sputtering. The witness also observed the airplane make a controlled descent towards the ground. On-site examination revealed that the approximately 10-foot-high brush, to the west of the ground impact site was bent towards the east, and the area of bent brush was about 20 feet in length. There were no ground scars to indicate that the airplane had any forward movement after impacting the soft ground. A test run of the engine was performed and revealed that when the engine was brought to cruise RPMs, and running for about 10 minutes, the fuel temperature reached 153 degrees F, which set up a vapor lock condition, the fuel pressure needle fluctuated, went to zero, and the engine completely shut down. The engine was allowed to cool and then started again. On the second run the fuel temperature reached 152 degrees F, the RPM and fuel pressure fluctuated, and the engine completely stopped, similar to the first run. A test on a similar airplane revealed that while cycling the landing gear, the wheels would pass in front of the radiator scoop. With the gear partially up, but not in the wheel well, the gear almost completely blocked the radiator scoop, which would have caused cooling air to be blocked or deflected.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.