Buschmann/Vanzee VARI EZ N830S

Summary

On 24 September 2017 at about 21:15 local time, a Buschmann/Vanzee VARI EZ registered N830S was involved in an accident near Ambler, Pennsylvania, 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

24 September 2017 at 21:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Ambler, Pennsylvania, United States

Nearest airport

Wings Field Airport (LOM)

Coordinates

40.1433, -75.2444

Aircraft

Buschmann/Vanzee VARI EZ

Registration

N830S

Category

Airplane

Year built

1984

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Blue Bell → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA17LA333

1 person was seriously injured.

Water contamination of the fuel that was not detected during a preflight inspection, which resulted in a total loss of engine power.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot was conducting a personal flight in the experimental, amateur-built airplane. During the initial climb, the engine lost total power when the airplane was about 200 ft above ground level. The airplane descended and impacted trees beyond the departure threshold; the airplane was destroyed. A witness reported hearing the engine "sputter," and another witness reported that the engine sounded like it did not reach full rpm during takeoff. An engine examination revealed that the gascolator and carburetor contained water-contaminated fuel. The examination did not reveal any other preimpact mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Due to his injuries, the pilot was unable to recall the events leading up to the accident. Although he indicated that he routinely completed thorough preflight inspections, he likely either did not sample the fuel or did not adequately eliminate water from the fuel before takeoff. Thus, it is likely that the loss of engine power was due to water contamination of the fuel.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.