Rans COYOTE S 4 accident near Clarksville, Texas, August 27, 2016
On August 27, 2016 at about 9:00 pm local time, a 1991 Rans COYOTE S 4, registered N8024J, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Clarksville, Texas (Clarksville/Red River Cty-J D airport). 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 total loss of engine power due to a deteriorated and disconnected fuel line, which resulted in fuel starvation and a subsequent hard, off-field landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 27, 2016 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Clarksville, Texas · Clarksville/Red River Cty-J D · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Rans COYOTE S 4, built 1991
- Registration
- N8024J · no longer on the register · serial 91160
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot was conducting a local, solo, personal flight. He reported that, while flying over his home about 1,700 ft above ground level, the engine "sputtered," and the tachometer decreased to between 1,300 and 1,500 rpm. The student turned the airplane around and proceeded back toward the airport; however, the airplane continued to descend and was not able to reach the airport. The student conducted a forced landing, and the airplane landed hard in a field. A postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the fuel pump impulse line was deteriorated and had disconnected during the accident flight. The carburetor fuel bowl was dry with no evidence of fuel. The most recent engine maintenance was completed about 9 months before the accident, and the fuel pump impulse line was not mentioned in the logbook entry. The accident is consistent with a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation, which resulted from a deteriorated and disconnected fuel line.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during initial climb
- Loss of engine power (total) during initial climb defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during initial climb
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel distribution › Damaged/degraded
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel distribution › Failure
- Aircraft › Aircraft handling/service › Maintenance/inspections › (general) › Not serviced/maintained
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 9.1 hours in all; 0.3 in this make and model; 1.7 in the last 90 days; 0.3 in the last 30 days; 0.3 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 26, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, November 20, 2015
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 503DCSI (piston); 168 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LBR Clarksville TX at 8:45 pm
- Destination: LBR Clarksville TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 3,000 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 8:55 pm from KPRX, 19 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on December 2, 2016. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | FAA Inspector's Examination Summary | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Maintenance Records | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Pilot's Logbook | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Correspondence - Previous Owner | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Photos | PDF, 5 pages | 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.