RV9A - Final Report - N387E

[A2022]

well, it appears to be a difficult location to make a forced landing. year of manufacture was 2024, so it was new.

https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/376681

An experimental Van's RV-9A, kit built by JMTT LLC, crashed on a road at Hwy 53 and Hill City Rd. in Jasper, Georgia.
The sole pilot was taken to hospital and the aircraft received substantial damage.

[A2022]

you know, we really need to prevent this outcome. the RV9 is good safe airframe. a guy spent all that time building and painting and gets a ride to hospital for more costs. very little in return and even a big negative if injuries linger. money may have been better spent on a cruise to Alaska.

hard impact. appears a piece of the left wing torn off and aircraft spun around. perhaps from the pole.

https://youtu.be/TFjBxr-sSJs?si=6HD9Ebdn9gztUgsv

[A2022]

well, it is a mystery at this point.

https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/ ... 194008/pdf

On March 29, 2024, about 1130 eastern daylight time, an Experimental Amateur Built Vans RV9A airplane, N387E, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near the Pickens County Airport (JZP), Jasper, Georgia. The private pilot sustained serious injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 test flight. According to the private pilot who was also a builder of the airplane, the accident flight was the second flight during the phase one flight testing and the airplane had under two hours of total time. The purpose was to remain near the JZP airport and obtain engine performance data. The pilot reported that after a normal takeoff, he maintained 4,000 ft mean sea level near the airport during the observation of the engine performance, the observations were unremarkable, and then he descended to return to the traffic pattern.

The pilot reported that while approaching a left downwind for runway 34, he observed RPM decline and the Electronic Flight Instrument System (EFIS) timer announced, “change fuel tank.” The pilot subsequently engaged the fuel boost pump and switched from the left to right fuel tank which was followed by a complete loss of engine power. The pilot elected to land in a field and during the landing, the left wing struck a utility pole.

Photographs revealed that the fuselage and wings sustained substantial damage.

The engine was an experimental rebuilt Lycoming O-320 engine with less than two hours since it had been rebuilt. The most recent condition inspection was completed on January 24, 2024.

The airplane was retained for further examination.

[rockwoodrv9a]

That is a shame to damage a plane so soon after finishing. I cant imagine the stuff going through that pilots head now. Ugg

[A2022]

that poor guy. what can be done to keep this from happening again?

[A2022]

well, nothing conclusive in the investigation except for a found loose fuel line b-nut on the RHS. the engine had died when the pilot switched fuel tank to the RHS. hey, it's better to find loose fuel line b-nuts before they find you, because they always will. a nice-looking airplane that you would not expect to conceal a fatal flaw.

********************

https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/ ... 194008/pdf

The purpose of the flight was for the private pilot/builder of the experimental amateur-built airplane to complete the second flight of the phase one flight testing. The pilot planned to remain near the airport and obtain engine performance data.

The pilot reported that after a normal takeoff, he maneuvered in the area and observed normal engine performance, and he then descended to return to the airport traffic pattern. The pilot reported that while approaching a left downwind for landing, he observed the engine rpm decline and the Electronic Flight Instrument System (EFIS) timer announced, “change fuel tank.” The pilot engaged the fuel boost pump and switched from the left to right fuel tank, which was followed by a complete loss of engine power. The pilot elected to land in a field, and during the landing roll, the left wing struck a utility pole. The fuselage and left wing sustained substantial damage.

Examination of the engine found no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunction or failure that would have precluded normal operation, and fuel was found in the right tank after the accident. During examination of the fuel system and selector, the right tank fuel line b-nut exhibited low torque, which could have resulted in a total loss of power due to fuel starvation. Although it is possible that the loose B-nut at the fuel selector allowed air into the fuel line when the pilot switched to the right fuel tank, due to the impact damage sustained to other areas of the fuel lines, and lack of recorded data from the multifunction display, the reason for the fuel starvation could not be determined.

[A2022]

Seriously, do we really need the FAA investigating these dumb ass accidents. It is expensive to send someone out to find a loose fuel line b-nut. I say stop investigating experimental aviation accidents to save money. Let the experimental aviation community fend for themselves on Safety related issues. You can't regulate amateur builders for training or hardware to improve so why even bother to investigate. If someone on the ground is injured, let the lawyers take care of it. If too many innocent people on the ground become injured, cancel the amateur built experimental program entirely. Simple as that.