Rans S5 COYOTE N284AH

Summary

On 7 July 2009 at about 16:30 local time, a Rans S5 COYOTE registered N284AH, operated by Devault David Hodges, was involved in an accident near Greeneville, Tennessee, 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

7 July 2009 at 16:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Greeneville, Tennessee, United States

Coordinates

36.1928, -82.8150

Aircraft

Rans S5 COYOTE

Registration

N284AH

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Devault David Hodges

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Morristown → Greeneville

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA09LA383

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed during a forced landing. Contributing to the accident was the loss of engine power due to fuel starvation resulting from the pilot's inadequate preflight inspection.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that he was descending through 2,500 feet mean sea level when the engine lost total power. He attempted an engine restart, but the engine started and lost power again. A forced landing was initiated towards an open field. The flaps were not extended and the airspeed was about 31 mph when the airplane stalled. The right wing dropped down, the nose pitched down, and airplane collided with the ground. Performance data for the airplane revealed it would stall at 31 mph in a clean configuration. Examination of the airframe, flight controls, the engine assembly, and accessories revealed no anomalies. The fuel selector valve, located behind the pilot seat, was found in the on position. The right main fuel tank shutoff valve was found in the on position. The left fuel tank shutoff valve was found in the off position. The left and right shutoff valves were marked correctly, manually operated, and functioned. The pilot stated both fuel valves were in the on position during his preflight inspection. First responders who responded to the accident site stated they only cut the battery cable. No other switches or buttons were disturbed.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.