Alexander S Rolinski AVENTURA II N727TK

Summary

On 26 June 2024 at about 18:59 local time, a Alexander S Rolinski AVENTURA II registered N727TK was involved in an accident near DeLand, Florida, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

26 June 2024 at 18:59

Classification

Accident

Location

DeLand, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Deland Muni-Sidney H Taylor Fl (DED)

Coordinates

29.0703, -81.3022

Aircraft

Alexander S Rolinski AVENTURA II

Registration

N727TK

Category

Airplane

Year built

2021

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Flight Test

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA24LA279

2 people were seriously injured.

Improper installation of the electric-driven fuel pump inlet hoses, which resulted in a hose failure and subsequent loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported the engine lost partial power about 300 ft above ground level during takeoff on a maintenance test flight. He applied full throttle and turned on the electric fuel pumps, but the engine did not regain power. The pilot initiated a forced landing; however, due to the low altitude at the time of the power loss, the airplane impacted trees. The airplane came to rest in a nose-down attitude in a residential area. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and wings. Postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed multiple anomalies within the fuel supply system. Functional testing of the electrically-driven fuel pumps with the hoses installed revealed a significant vacuum leak on the inlet manifold side of one of the pumps. The leak prevented the fuel pumps from pulling fuel from the tank. The hose was found to be loose and could be pulled off by hand. The internal diameter of the hose was too large for the pump’s attach fitting, and a worm clamp had been over-tightened to attach it, which may have contributed to the line cracking. The opposite end of the same hose was too small for the brass fitting it was installed on, and the hose had been damaged and deformed when pressed onto the fitting, creating a significant blockage through the line. It is unknown how much of a reduced fuel-flow this blockage may have caused. The fuel pumps functioned properly when tested with new hoses installed, and several engine test runs in this configuration was successfully performed. Recorded data showed recovered from onboard avionics recorded a drop in fuel pressure on takeoff for the accident flight. Based on this data, as well as the postaccident examination findings, it is likely that this loss of fuel pressure resulted in fuel starvation and the loss of engine power during takeoff. It is also likely that the improperly sized and installed fuel lines directly resulted in the loss of fuel pressure.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.