Accident Summary
On June 9, 2012, at approximately 1215 central daylight time, an amateur-built Amen Star Lite, registration N319NP, made a hard forced landing following a loss of engine power shortly after takeoff from San Geronimo Airpark (8T8) in San Antonio, Texas. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged during the event. The flight was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight, operating in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. The local flight had originated just prior to the accident.
Pilot Report
The pilot reported that the engine operated normally during the pre-takeoff engine run-up and the takeoff ground roll. After becoming airborne and reaching an altitude of about 150 feet above ground level, the engine lost power. In response, the pilot lowered the nose of the airplane and used the fuel primer, which resulted in several brief bursts of power. The pilot turned the airplane back toward the airport in an attempt to reach the runway. A hard landing was made in the grass alongside the runway. According to the pilot, the landing gear absorbed most of the impact forces, and the main gear separated from the airplane. The airplane then slid approximately 20 feet on the grass before continuing onto the runway, where it slid another 300 feet before coming to a stop. The wings and fuselage sustained substantial damage.
Postaccident Examination
A postaccident examination of the airplane and engine was conducted. Pieces of a yellow foreign material were found inside the fuel pump. A stain on the fuel filter matched the color of this material. Inspection of the fuel tank revealed that a 3/4-inch area of coating applied to the interior of the tank was missing at the junction where the side of the tank met the bottom. The color of this missing coating appeared to match the material found in the fuel pump.
The fuel tank had originally been coated with a dark (black/brown) coating when the airplane was built in 2004. The kit manufacturer later determined that this coating could soften when exposed to fuel and recommended that aircraft owners apply a different, yellow coating to the interior of the tank. The aircraft owner, who was also the pilot, reported that he had applied this new yellow coating approximately six years before the accident. He believed that the dislodged sealant coating resulted from inadequate curing in the curved area where the side and bottom of the tank meet.