De Havilland DHC-1B NX2EA

Summary

On 31 July 2007 at about 21:30 local time, a De Havilland DHC-1B registered NX2EA was involved in an accident near Olympia, Washington, United States. 3 people were on board and 2 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

31 July 2007 at 21:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Olympia, Washington, United States

Nearest airport

Olympia (KOLM)

Coordinates

46.9667, -122.9000

Aircraft

De Havilland DHC-1B

Registration

NX2EA

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Olympia → Arlington

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX07LA233

2 people had minor injuries.

The loss of engine power due to water-contaminated fuel, and maintenance personnel's inadequate inspection of the fuel system.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The experimental airplane's engine lost power a few minutes after takeoff. There was no surge or popping sound associated with the sudden loss of power. The pilot selected the second fuel tank, completed engine out emergency procedures, but was unable to restart the engine, and selected a two lane road for landing. During the landing the airplane snagged multiple power lines and came to rest partially suspended from the broken power lines. The airplane's fuel system had been modified from the firewall forward, with a canister type of fuel filter and an Ellison throttle body. Removal and examination of the fuel filter disclosed brown, rust-colored corrosion. Sludge was inside the filter canister, and rust-colored stains were on the filter element. Examination of the fuel tanks revealed rust-colored deposits around the fuel tank outlets. The rust-colored deposits and stains are consistent with water contamination in the fuel filter canister and fuel tank, and indicates that the fuel system had been exposed to water for some time. The engine maintenance logbook recorded that an annual examination was completed on July 1, 2007, and that "all fuel and oil screens/filters checked," which was not consistent with the physical condition of the fuel filter as examined after the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.