Accident Overview
On July 17, 2023, at approximately 0755 Pacific daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Glasair III, registration N196G, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing near Pahrump, Nevada. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The flight was conducted as a personal flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
Accident Sequence
According to the pilot, the preflight inspection was normal, and the airplane had 42 gallons of fuel onboard before takeoff. Shortly after departing from runway 15 at Calvada Meadows Airport (74P) in Pahrump, the pilot detected a strong fuel odor in the cockpit. He turned off the fuel boost pump in an attempt to reduce the fuel smell. The odor persisted, and the engine surged before losing power. The pilot reactivated the fuel boost pump and switched fuel tanks in an effort to restart the engine, but the engine did not restart. He then executed a forced landing onto a highway. During the landing, the airplane struck a sign, and the landing gear collapsed, resulting in substantial damage to both wings. The pilot attributed the power loss to a fuel leak.
Postaccident Examination
A postaccident examination revealed that the auxiliary fuel tank contained water. The firewall fuel line was found disconnected from the fuel/air control unit, and the line was capped. When the fuel boost pump was activated, it was heard operating. Liquid was observed dripping from the fuel line at the firewall fitting on the engine side of the firewall. The connections to the fitting were secure. The fuel lines were disconnected from the fitting, and abrasion damage was noted on the threads of the engine side of the fitting. No abrasion damage was evident on the cockpit side threads.
Maintenance History
A review of the airframe and engine maintenance logbooks for the year preceding the accident showed that on April 18, 2023, the engine-driven fuel pump, fuel servo, and “fuel servo attach gasket” were replaced. Additional non-fuel system engine maintenance was also performed on that date. It was not determined whether the fuel line to the thread-damaged firewall fuel fitting was disconnected or reconnected during that maintenance.