Rans COYOTE S 4 N8024J

Summary

On 27 August 2016 at about 21:00 local time, a Rans COYOTE S 4 registered N8024J was involved in an accident near Clarksville, Texas, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

27 August 2016 at 21:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Clarksville, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Clarksville/Red River Cty-J D (LBR)

Coordinates

33.6014, -95.0736

Aircraft

Rans COYOTE S 4

Registration

N8024J

Category

Airplane

Year built

1991

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Clarksville → Clarksville

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN16LA339

1 person was seriously injured.

The total loss of engine power due to a deteriorated and disconnected fuel line, which resulted in fuel starvation and a subsequent hard, off-field landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The student pilot was conducting a local, solo, personal flight. He reported that, while flying over his home about 1,700 ft above ground level, the engine "sputtered," and the tachometer decreased to between 1,300 and 1,500 rpm. The student turned the airplane around and proceeded back toward the airport; however, the airplane continued to descend and was not able to reach the airport. The student conducted a forced landing, and the airplane landed hard in a field. A postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the fuel pump impulse line was deteriorated and had disconnected during the accident flight. The carburetor fuel bowl was dry with no evidence of fuel. The most recent engine maintenance was completed about 9 months before the accident, and the fuel pump impulse line was not mentioned in the logbook entry. The accident is consistent with a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation, which resulted from a deteriorated and disconnected fuel line.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.