Amateur-built RV-9A accident near Fort Scott, Kansas, June 6, 2004
On June 6, 2004 at about 11:45 pm local time, a amateur-built RV-9A, registered N369RV, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fort Scott, Kansas (Fort Scott Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The vapor lock of the airplane fuel system and the ditch encountered during the emergency landing..
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 6, 2004 · about 11:45 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Scott, Kansas · Fort Scott Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built RV-9A
- Registration
- N369RV · registry record · serial 90442
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The experimental amateur-built airplane experienced a loss of engine power during cruise flight when fuel pressure decreased to a level below the normal operating range. The fuel pressure continued to be below normal after the airplane's secondary fuel pump automatically actuated. The pilot then executed a forced landing on a field where the airplane impacted a ditch and nosed over. Inspection of the airplane revealed that the airplane was fueled with automotive fuel. The pilot reported an ambient temperature of 80 degrees Fahrenheit. A post accident engine run did not duplicate a loss of engine power.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 74 hours in all; 41 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Subaru EJ25 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FSK Fort Scott KS
- Destination: BUM Butler MO
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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.