Accident Quad City Challenger II N266RP, Tuesday 20 January 1998

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Date:	Tuesday 20 January 1998
Time:	17:50 LT
Type:	Quad City Challenger II
Owner/operator:	Private
Registration:	N266RP
MSN:	CH1289Y0489
Year of manufacture:	1989
Total airframe hrs:	260 hours
Engine model:	Rotax 503
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Category:	Accident
Location:	Erwinville, LA - United States of America
Phase:	Approach
Nature:	Training
Departure airport:	Erwinville, LA
Destination airport:
Investigating agency:	NTSB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
On downwind for landing at the student pilot's private air strip, the airplane's engine lost power. The pilot elected to make a forced landing on an unimproved road. During the landing roll, the pilot was unable to compensate for the prevailing crosswind and the aircraft rolled into a drainage ditch. Examination of the aircraft by the student's flight instructor revealed that the fuel pick-up line had separated from the fuel tank. The instructor reconnected the line and test ran the engine, which then operated 'normally.'

Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to compensate for the prevailing crosswind. Factors were the crosswind and the loss of engine power due to the separation of the fuel pick-up line.

Accident investigation: