Accident Details
On October 1, 2020, at 1115 eastern daylight time, an experimental Fokker DR1 airplane, N512FH, sustained substantial damage during an accident near Wake, Virginia. The commercial pilot was not injured. The aircraft was being operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
Pilot Account
The pilot reported that before the local flight, he added 6 gallons of fuel to top off the fuel tank. Approximately 25 minutes after takeoff, while cruising at 1,500 feet mean sea level, the engine lost all power without any preceding indications such as surging, sputtering, or misfiring. The propeller continued windmilling. The pilot attempted to restart the engine but was unsuccessful. As the airspeed decreased to about 60 knots, the propeller stopped windmilling.
While descending for a forced landing to a field, the aircraft struck a wire, which considerably reduced its speed. Upon landing, the airplane impacted the edge of a bean field and nosed over into an adjacent grass field. After the aircraft came to rest, the pilot observed fuel leaking from the fuel tank filler neck.
Post-Accident Examination
An FAA inspector examined the accident site. Substantial damage was noted to the upper wing, approximately 3 feet inboard of the wingtip, and the fuselage structure was deformed near the right landing gear strut attach point. Flight control continuity was confirmed. The engine controls functioned normally when exercised. Fuel sampled from the tank was blue and free of contaminants. The fuel inlet line was disconnected from the carburetor, and no fuel flowed out from the line. First responders reported to the inspector that several gallons of fuel had leaked from the fuel filler neck onto the ground. A fuel sample taken from the airport fueling station was also blue and absent of contaminants.
Additional Findings
The pilot later reported that the day after the accident, he discovered the fuel vent ram air tube on the ground in the normal taxi path from the hangar to the runway. One end of the tube had electrical tape wrapped around it, which was slippery and appeared deteriorated due to contact with fuel. The copper ram air tube had been held in place by a hose clamp inside a rubber vent line that ran from the right forward landing gear strut to the fuel tank. The pilot noted that the outside diameter of the copper ram air tube was smaller than the inside diameter of the rubber vent line.
Subsequently, the pilot and his mechanic examined the engine and fuel system and found no anomalies. They also started the engine and performed a magneto check, which revealed no issues.