Amateur-built Glastar accident near Kendallville, Indiana, April 10, 2005
On April 10, 2005 at about 2:45 pm local time, a amateur-built Glastar, registered N5DK, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kendallville, Indiana (Kendallville Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power due to fuel starvation as a result of the fuel flow restriction at the internal engine fuel filter due the presence of the silicone sealant material. Contributing factors were the unsuitable terrain for a forced landing short of the airport property, as well as the road and ditch.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 10, 2005 · about 2:45 pm local time
- Place
- Kendallville, Indiana · Kendallville Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Glastar
- Registration
- N5DK · registry record · serial 5706
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The amateur-built experimental airplane was substantially damaged when it lost engine power after takeoff. The pilot was in the traffic pattern and attempted to execute a forced landing on the departure runway. However, the glide path was not sufficient to reach the runway and the airplane impacted a road and ditch adjacent to the airport. This was the first flight of the airplane. The pilot was the owner and builder of the aircraft. The pilot stated that after takeoff, he experienced a "very quick" 8-knot reduction in airspeed. The loss in airspeed was followed by a reduction in engine exhaust gas temperature (EGT) of about 50 degrees Fahrenheit. The pilot noted that the loss of airspeed felt like "someone momentarily deployed a speed brake but the airspeed remained at the lower speed." He recalled that the fuel pressure indicated 10 pounds per square inch (psi) at that time. The pilot stated that when he reached a point abeam the end of the runway and began a 180-degree turn to final approach for landing, a second airspeed reduction occurred. He reported that while maintaining a 65-knot glide speed, the glide path would not allow a landing on the runway. The pilot reported that the field adjacent to the airport was too small to permit a safe landing. Because there was no traffic on the road adjoining the airport, he elected to dive toward it in an effort to maintain enough airspeed to pull up and land in a grass area off the end of the runway. However, the airplane's nose wheel caught the edge of the roadway and the aircraft slid across the road and into a ditch. A post-accident inspection revealed that a piece of silicone rubber sealant obstructed the inlet of the internal engine fuel filter. The pilot/builder reported that to the best of his knowledge the sealant material was not used in the construction of the airplane and he was unsure of the source. In addition, a Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the airplane. He noted that several bends in the fuel lines were flattened and did not have a uniform cross-section at those locations.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 449 hours in all; 3 in this make and model; 1 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 304 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 9, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 0.2 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, February 2, 2005; 0.2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,960 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Apex T62-T2A1 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: C62 Kendallville IN at 2:35 pm
- Destination: C62
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 10, 4,400 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
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.