Amateur-built LIGHTNING N51TM accident near Canandaigua, New York

Probable cause

The pilot’s performance of an off-airport landing shortly after takeoff for reasons that could not be determined.

NTSB analysis

Shortly after takeoff, the experimental amateur-built airplane was seen by a witness near the accident site flying about 20 ft above a wheat field. The pilot performed an off-airport landing in the field, which resulted in the nose landing gear collapsing. The pilot sustained serious injuries, and his only recollections of the accident were that he thought the field was flat but encountered a bump during the landing and that he shut off the fuel selector after the accident. The pilot passed away more than 30 days after the accident.

Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed an adequate supply of fuel in both fuel tanks with no contaminants found. No discrepancies were noted during a visual inspection of the engine compartment, but during an attempt to start the engine following activation of the auxiliary fuel pump, a fuel hose from the gascolator to the engine-driven fuel pump separated from the outlet fitting of the gascolator due to inadequate clamping force. The hose was re-installed onto the fitting, and the engine was started and found to operate normally at low power; a full-power engine run was not performed due to impact-damaged propeller blades. While the airplane designer reported that a loose fuel hose at the outlet of the gascolator could introduce air into the fuel supply, it could not be determined whether this condition existed prior to, or was a result of the impact, and the reason the pilot performed an off-airport landing shortly after takeoff could not be determined.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA22LA287 for the full record.