Myers Donald E KITFOX 4 N69377

Summary

On 30 August 2009 at about 13:15 local time, a Myers Donald E KITFOX 4 registered N69377 was involved in an accident near Flintstone, Maryland, 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

30 August 2009 at 13:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Flintstone, Maryland, United States

Coordinates

39.6167, -78.6333

Aircraft

Myers Donald E KITFOX 4

Registration

N69377

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Berkeley Spring → Cumberland

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA09LA491

1 person had minor injuries.

A total loss of engine power due to the lack of sufficient lubrication and the pilot/owner’s failure to adequately service the airplane’s engine.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was flying at an altitude of 2,800 feet mean sea level when the engine of his homebuilt airplane abruptly lost power. After many failed attempts to restart the engine, the pilot landed in a wooded area. The airplane came to rest in a nose-low attitude suspended off the ground between two trees. The pilot sustained minor injuries and the airplane incurred substantial damage. An examination of the engine found evidence of inadequate lubrication to the engine’s rotary valve and foreign material and debris in both carburetors. During the examination, the rotary valve was only able to produce a few turns of the propeller before it stuck in a position that cut off the fuel/oil mixture’s flow to the cylinder. The rotary valve’s oil tank was empty and the pilot stated that he had never added any oil to it in the 49 hours the airplane was operated. Review of the engine’s operators and maintenance manuals revealed that the engine had been improperly stored for 18 years.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.