Rans S-16 N116GS

Summary

On 1 August 2014 at about 16:28 local time, a Rans S-16 registered N116GS was involved in an accident near Fort Bridger, Wyoming, United States. 2 people were 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

1 August 2014 at 16:28

Classification

Accident

Location

Fort Bridger, Wyoming, United States

Nearest airport

Fort Bridger (FBR)

Coordinates

41.3933, -110.4058

Aircraft

Rans S-16

Registration

N116GS

Category

Airplane

Year built

2001

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Fort Bridger → Fort Bridger

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR14LA323

Nobody was injured.

The fuel flow divider inlet line’s B-nut coming loose during takeoff, resulting in a total loss of engine power. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to adequately tighten the B-nut during recent maintenance.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Shortly after takeoff, experimental amateur-built airplane's engine lost all power. The pilot/owner performed a forced landing onto a road, and, during the landing flare, the main landing gear caught the edge of the road and collapsed. The airplane struck a pit and sustained substantial damage. The pilot had recently reinstalled the engine's fuel servo following the servo's overhaul, and this was the first flight since the installation. Postaccident examination revealed that the fuel line's B-nut fitting connecting the fuel servo to the fuel flow divider was about 1 1/3 turns loose. It is likely that the pilot had either forgotten to tighten the fitting or had not applied sufficient torque during reinstallation of the servo.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.