Amateur-built SH-2 accident near Watertown, Wisconsin, April 30, 1989
On April 30, 1989 at about 12:00 pm local time, a amateur-built SH-2, registered N29HJ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Watertown, Wisconsin (Watertown Muni airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
LACK FUEL FLOW TO THE ENGINE (FUEL STARVATION) DUE TO AN UNDETERMINED FUEL SYSTEM PROBLEM.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 30, 1989 · about 12:00 pm local time
- Place
- Watertown, Wisconsin · Watertown Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built SH-2
- Registration
- N29HJ · registry record · serial 134
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE NEW, HOME BUILT, ACFT WAS ON ITS MAIDEN FLT. AS THE OWNER WAS PERFORMING STALLS ABOUT 1/2 HR AFTER TAKEOFF, THE ENG BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH. POWER WAS RESTORED WHEN THE PLT TURNED ON THE ELEC BOOST PUMP & SELECTED THE HEADER TANK. ABOUT 2 MIN LATER, AS HE WAS APCHG THE ARPT TO LAND, THE ENG LOST POWER AGAIN & WOULD NOT RESTART. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT WAS DAMAGED DRG AN EMERG LNDG. DRG AN EXAM OF THE FUEL SYS, AIR WAS FOUND IN THE PLASTIC FUEL LINE & NO FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE GASCOLATOR. THE FLOAT/NEEDLE VALVE WAS FOUND STUCK IN THE OPEN PSN & THE FLOAT SETTING WAS ABOUT 1/2 INCH OUT OF ADJUSTMENT. HOWEVER, THE OPEN VALVE SHOULD HAVE ALLOWED UNRESTRICTED FUEL FLOW RATHER THAN FUEL STARVATION. THE BUILDER HAD MODIFIED THE FUEL SYS BY INSTALLING AN EXTRA FUEL FILTER. THE EXTRA FUEL FILTER WAS INSTALLED IN THE PLASTIC FUEL LINE & WAS IN ADDITION TO THE SCREENS IN THE GASCOLATOR & THE CARBURETOR INLET.
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: 354 hours in all; 3 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 300 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, April 6, 1989; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-B3B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Waterloo WI at 11:30 am
- Destination: RYV
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 3,600 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 41°F (5°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:50 am from MSN, 26 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI89DEP03.