Amen STAR LITE N319NP

Summary

On 9 June 2012 at about 17:15 local time, a Amen STAR LITE registered N319NP, operated by Amen Nelson P, was involved in an accident near San Antonio, Texas, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

9 June 2012 at 17:15

Classification

Accident

Location

San Antonio, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

San Geronimo Airpark (8T8)

Coordinates

29.5103, -98.7983

Aircraft

Amen STAR LITE

Registration

N319NP

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Amen Nelson P

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

San Antonio → San Antonio

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN12LA371

Nobody was injured.

The separation of the fuel tank sealant coating, which traveled into the fuel pump, blocked the fuel flow, and resulted in fuel starvation to the engine.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that the airplane’s engine operated normally during the engine run-up and takeoff ground run. However, after takeoff, at an altitude of about 150 feet above ground level, the engine lost power. The pilot turned the airplane back toward the airport in an attempt to reach the runway. A hard landing was made in the grass alongside the runway. The landing gear collapsed, and the airplane continued to slide onto the runway before coming to rest. The airplane’s wings and fuselage were substantially damaged. A postaccident examination revealed that pieces of a sealant coating that was applied to the inside of the fuel tank had dislodged. The pilot believed that the coating dislodged because the coating in that area (the curvature where the side and bottom of the fuel tank meet) had not properly cured after he applied it 6 years before the accident. Pieces of this coating were found inside the fuel pump, which likely prevented fuel flow to the engine.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.