Accident Denney Kitfox 4 N149BT, Monday 24 May 1999

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Date:	Monday 24 May 1999
Time:	17:05 LT
Type:	Denney Kitfox 4
Owner/operator:	Private
Registration:	N149BT
MSN:	1499
Year of manufacture:	1992
Total airframe hrs:	727 hours
Engine model:	Rotax 582, 2 STROKE
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Category:	Accident
Location:	Carnation, WA - United States of America
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Sequim, WA (WN41)
Destination airport:	Monroe, WA (WA38)
Investigating agency:	NTSB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
While in a cruise flight configuration the aircraft's engine started to lose power and eventually quit. The pilot executed a forced landing in a crowned hay field. Upon touchdown, the aircraft bounced, momentarily became airborne, then touched down a second time. In an effort to stop, the pilot intentionally ground-looped the aircraft. The aircraft came to rest in a irrigation canal that paralleled the hay field. The aircraft's main landing gear and both wings were substantially damaged. A post accident inspection of the engine revealed a large crack in the impulse line running from the engine's crankcase to the pulse fuel pump. A technical representative from Rotax Engines stated that a breech of this type in the impulse line would result in a failure of the pulse fuel pump.

Probable Cause: Loss of engine power due to a cracked engine impulse line, which disabled the fuel pump. A factor was the intentional ground loop by the pilot.

Accident investigation: