Accident Details
On September 22, 2016, about 1400 central daylight time, a Vans RV9A experimental airplane, registration N699RV, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Cushing Field Ltd Airport (0C8) in Newark, Illinois. The private pilot was not injured; the passenger suffered minor injuries. The airplane was privately registered and operated under Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.
The pilot and passenger were conducting a cross-country flight when the pilot observed fluctuating fuel pressure and the engine began to surge. He turned on the backup fuel pump, but the engine continued to surge, prompting him to divert to 0C8. The pilot reported difficulty maintaining visual reference with the airport as the airplane lost altitude while circling overhead. He performed an S-turn but found himself still too high. Running out of runway, he executed a hard slip to lose altitude. The airplane stalled approximately 10 to 15 feet above the runway, impacted the ground, and slid about 30 feet before stopping.
Previous Maintenance
Four days before the accident, on September 18, the pilot conducted a flight during which he felt a couple of small pauses in the engine. After landing, the engine quit and would not restart until the auxiliary fuel pump was activated. Testing revealed the primary fuel pump was inoperative, and the pilot ordered a new pump. When the new pump arrived, it did not have the bottom fitting attached, unlike a previous replacement that was fully assembled. The pilot transferred the fitting from the old pump, noting an O-ring present on it. However, he did not see an O-ring with the new pump kit. The mating surfaces differed between the two pumps, and the new pump did not appear to require an O-ring. The accompanying instructions did not mention an O-ring. The pilot installed the new fuel pump without an O-ring and conducted a successful test.
Cause
Following the accident flight, the pilot questioned whether an O-ring might have been included with the new pump but overlooked. He examined the maintenance area and subsequently found a 5/8-inch O-ring inside another component that came from the box containing the new pump. The pilot stated that the accident was caused by this maintenance issue—specifically, the improper installation of the fuel pump without the required O-ring, which led to fuel starvation and loss of engine power.