ERA21LA005

Factual narrative

On October 1, 2020, at 1115 eastern daylight time, an experimental Fokker DR1 airplane, N512FH, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Wake, Virginia. The commercial pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to the pilot, he added 6 gallons of fuel to “top off” the fuel tank before the local flight. About 25 minutes after takeoff, while in cruise flight at 1,500 ft mean sea level, the engine lost all power. There were no precursor indications, it did not “surge, sputter or misfire.” The propeller remained windmilling. The pilot attempted to restart the engine but was unsuccessful. As the airplane slowed to about 60 knots, the propeller stopped windmilling. While descending for a forced landing to a field, the airplane impacted a wire and slowed “substantially.” During landing, the airplane impacted the edge of a bean field and nosed over into the adjacent grass field. After the airplane came to rest, the pilot noticed fuel leaking from the fuel tank filler neck. Examination of the accident site by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed substantial damage to the upper wing, 3 ft inboard of the wingtip. The fuselage structure was deformed near the right landing gear strut attach point. Flight control continuity was confirmed. The engine controls were exercised and operated normally. Fuel sampled from the fuel tank was blue and absent of contaminants. The fuel inlet line was disconnected from the carburetor, and no fuel ran out from the line. First responders reported to the inspector that “several gallons” of fuel had leaked from the fuel filler neck onto the ground. A fuel sample taken from the airport fueling station was blue in color and absent of contaminants. The pilot subsequently reported that, the day after the accident, he found the fuel vent ram air tube on the ground in the normal taxiing path from the hangar to the runway. One end of the tube had electrical tape wrapped around it, which was “slippery” and appeared to have been deteriorated due to contact with fuel. The copper ram air tube had been held in place by a hose clamp inside a rubber vent line that led from the right forward landing gear strut to the fuel tank. The pilot reported that the outside diameter of the copper ram air tube was smaller than the inside diameter of the rubber vent line. The pilot and his mechanic examined the engine and fuel system and found no anomalies. They also started the engine and performed a magneto check with no anomalies noted. The pilot departed in the experimental airplane for a local flight. While in cruise flight about 25 minutes after departure, the engine lost all power. When his attempts to restore power were unsuccessful, he performed a forced landing to a field, during which the airplane impacted power lines, landed in the field, nosed over, and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the top wing and forward fuselage. The day after the accident, the pilot found the copper ram-air fuel vent tube on the taxiway between the hangar and the runway. The tube had electrical tape wrapped around the mounting end, presumably installed to increase its diameter to fit the larger diameter rubber tubing of the fuel tank vent line where it was previously attached and held in place by a hose clamp. The pilot surmised that the electrical tape had deteriorated due to contact with fuel, allowing the tube to separate from the rubber vent line. He further surmised that the fuel tank was insufficiently vented during the flight due to missing ram air tube, and the negative pressure in the fuel tank after 25 minutes of flight resulted in fuel starvation to the engine. The engine was successfully started and run after the accident during the examination performed by the pilot and his mechanic. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

• — Aircraft-Aircraft systems-Fuel system-(general)-Incorrect service/maintenance
• — Aircraft-Aircraft systems-Fuel system-(general)-Not specified