Zenith CH-750 N8681

Summary

On 20 October 2016 at about 18:50 local time, a Zenith CH-750 registered N8681 was involved in an accident near Morristown, Minnesota, 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

20 October 2016 at 18:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Morristown, Minnesota, United States

Coordinates

44.2686, -93.4697

Aircraft

Zenith CH-750

Registration

N8681

Category

Airplane

Year built

2015

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Morristown → Morristown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN17LA021

1 person was seriously injured.

A total loss of engine power due to fuel vapor lock. Contributing to the loss of engine power were the corrosion of the spark plugs and the spacing of the electrode gaps.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot reported that he had started, warmed up, and then shut down the engine about 1 hour before the accident flight. Shortly after takeoff for the personal flight, the airplane's engine lost total power. Subsequently, the pilot conducted a forced landing on a hill, which resulted in substantial damage to the nose landing gear, fuselage, and left wing. The pilot said that he had fueled the airplane that morning with 82-octane automotive fuel that he had recently purchased from a service station. However, postaccident examination revealed that the fuel was yellow in color and smelled like "aged" automobile fuel. The top spark plugs appeared aged, and the electrodes were corroded, which could have affected engine performance. The airplane was not equipped with a fuel vapor return line to prevent fuel vapor lock. Given that old automotive fuel was found in the fuel system and that a fuel vapor return line had not been installed, it is likely that the engine lost power due to vapor lock. It is also likely that the corrosion of the spark plugs and the spacing of the electrode gaps contributed to the loss of engine power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.