Newell Thomas RV6-A N16TN

Summary

On 12 April 2005 at about 15:55 local time, a Newell Thomas RV6-A registered N16TN was involved in an accident near Hayward, California, 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

12 April 2005 at 15:55

Classification

Accident

Location

Hayward, California, United States

Nearest airport

Hayward Executive Airport (HWD)

Coordinates

37.6592, -122.1222

Aircraft

Newell Thomas RV6-A

Registration

N16TN

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Hayward → Livermore

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX05LA134

1 person had minor injuries.

A loss of engine power due to fuel system contamination. A factor in the accident was the fuel system not being flushed out after it was involved in a previous accident where the fuel tanks were damaged.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane collided with an unoccupied truck short of the runway, following a total loss of engine power. Shortly after departure, and during the initial climb, the engine experienced a total loss of power. The pilot was unable to make it to the runway surface and the airplane collided with a truck located in a city maintenance yard. The airplane had undergone repairs from a previous accident 9 months prior to this accident. The airplane had flown a total of 1.6 hours since being returned to service. The repairs included the airplane being outfitted with new aluminum fuel tanks (supplied by the pilot), as the previous tanks had been damaged. There was no evidence that the mechanic who installed the fuel tanks or the pilot ever flushed the fuel system. At the accident site the glass fuel filters were removed from the airplane for examination and dark debris lining both filters was observed. Examination of the right fuel filter disclosed that fuel would not flow from the outlet side, but was able to flow from the inlet side, due to debris contamination. The fuel filters were automobile specific and visible to the pilot from the cockpit. Trace amounts of fuel were found throughout various points in the fuel system, including the fuel pumps and carburetor bowl. An examination of the carburetor's brass float found scrape marks, or chaffing on each side. The fuel lines were contaminated with a foreign particulate matter and flow tests using air found that the contaminants hindered air flow through the lines. The fuel filters were sent to the Safety Board Material Laboratory for analysis of the contaminants. An energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) was used to identify the material inside the filters as corroded iron or steel particles and dirt. Several larger pieces of a white material were identified as either plastic or paint. The quantity and size of the debris could have significantly impeded the flow of fuel through the filter.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.