Amateur-built KINSLER LANCAIR/MKII accident near Crivitz, Wisconsin, May 6, 2014
On May 6, 2014 at about 4:18 pm local time, a 1999 amateur-built KINSLER LANCAIR/MKII, registered N246AK, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Crivitz, Wisconsin. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The improper installation of the hose fuel fitting, which resulted in the fitting becoming disconnected and the subsequent loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 6, 2014 · about 4:18 pm local time
- Place
- Crivitz, Wisconsin · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built KINSLER LANCAIR/MKII NO SERIES, built 1999
- Registration
- N246AK · registry record · serial 778
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, about 10 to 15 minutes after takeoff in the single-engine airplane, he smelled fuel in the cockpit, and the airplane's fuel pressure gauge read 0. He activated the electric fuel boost pump, but the fuel pressure reading remained 0. At this point, the engine lost power, and the pilot subsequently executed a wheels-up forced landing to a field. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the inlet hose to the mechanical fuel pump was not connected; the hose fitting and the fuel pump's mating fitting were not damaged. Based on the available evidence, it is likely that the hose fuel fitting was not properly installed, which allowed the fitting to vibrate loose during operation until it became disconnected and resulted in the loss of engine power due to fuel starvation. Because the hose fitting was found higher than the fuel tanks, fuel would not have leaked from the hose while the airplane was parked. Therefore, the pilot would not have been able to detect the discrepancy during preflight examination of the airplane.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel distribution › Incorrect service/maintenance
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Installation › Other/unknown
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,839 hours in all; 389 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 2,270 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 790 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, February 7, 2014; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,685 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-B1E (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OCQ Oconto WI
- Destination: IMT Iron Mountain MI
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 4:15 pm from MNM, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on July 23, 2015. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Conversation - FAA Inspector | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.