Accident Summary
On May 27, 2021, at approximately 1825 central daylight time, a Vans RV-8 airplane, registration N274CV, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near San Angelo, Texas. The pilot sustained serious injuries. The airplane was operating under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations as a personal flight.
Shortly after takeoff, the airplane came to rest upright. The fuselage and wings sustained substantial damage.
Post-Accident Examination
A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector who responded to the scene reported that the fuel tanks appeared empty but seemed to have been breached during the accident sequence. The airplane had recently undergone maintenance that included the installation of a Garmin G3 system, and the accident flight was the first flight after that installation. The inspector also noted that the avionics shop had drained approximately 40 gallons of fuel from the tanks and then added the fuel back for calibration purposes.
The airplane was subsequently recovered to a salvage yard, where a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) conducted an examination. The top set of sparkplugs were removed from each cylinder, and the engine was rotated by hand. Continuity through the valve train and to the accessory section was noted. The left and right magnetos were removed and, when rotated, produced a spark on each terminal.
Fuel System Configuration
The fuel system was equipped with a fuel flow transducer located in the fuel line between the pressure side of the engine-driven fuel pump and the carburetor. The addition of the fuel flow transducer was required to provide a fuel flow reading on the new instrument panel.
The pressure side of the engine-driven fuel pump outflow fitting had two fittings installed. The 3/8-inch port was capped off with an AN929 fitting. The other port had a number 4 fitting installed, which was connected to the fuel line running to the fuel flow transducer.