Glasair SH II N279G

Summary

On 1 July 2019 at about 00:15 local time, a Glasair SH II registered N279G was involved in an accident near San Bernardino, California, 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 July 2019 at 00:15

Classification

Accident

Location

San Bernardino, California, United States

Nearest airport

San Bernardino Intl (SBD)

Coordinates

34.0953, -117.2350

Aircraft

Glasair SH II

Registration

N279G

Category

Airplane

Year built

1988

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

San Bernardino → El Monte

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR19TA186

Nobody was injured.

A fuel leak caused by age-degraded fuel hoses, which resulted in a total loss of engine power and fire before takeoff. Contributing to the accident was inadequate maintenance.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

After the pilot advanced the throttle for takeoff, the engine lost all power and a fire erupted in the engine compartment of the experimental amateur-built airplane, causing substantial damage to the fuselage and left wing. Construction of the airplane was completed almost 31 years before the accident, and the airplane sat idle for the 15 years leading up to its last inspection, about 8 months (33 flight hours) before the accident. The fire appeared to originate in the area of the gascolator and engine-driven fuel pump, an area that would have experienced relative movement between the engine and airframe while in operation. The airplane was equipped with rubber fuel hoses, none of which appeared to have been replaced since the airplane was built. It is likely that the hoses, due to their excessive age, degraded and became brittle over time, resulting in a fuel leak and eventual fire.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.