North American SNJ-5 accident near Wolcott, Colorado, May 5, 2008
On May 5, 2008 at about 4:35 pm local time, a North American SNJ-5, registered N12KY, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Wolcott, Colorado. 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 failure of the engine driven fuel pump flange due to oil starvation, resulting in the loss of engine power due to fuel starvation. Contributing to the accident was the lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 5, 2008 · about 4:35 pm local time · cases in 2008
- Place
- Wolcott, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- North American SNJ-5 · all SNJ-5s on the register
- Registration
- N12KY · registry record · serial 90995
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, he was in cruise flight at 12,500 feet mean sea level when the engine stopped running. Attempts to restart the engine were unsuccessful. The pilot performed a forced landing to rolling, uneven terrain resulting in substantial damage. Examination of the engine revealed the fuel pump drive gear was pressed into the flange and would not rotate by hand. Several of the gear teeth exhibited damage. The gear shaft exhibited rotational scoring. Half of the engine side lip of the flange was missing. The flange housing was discolored, consistent with heat due to oil starvation. Examination of the engine, fuel pump, remaining engine components, and fuel system revealed no anomalies.
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 emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel pumps › Failure other cases naming the fuel system
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Oil › Fluid level other cases naming the engine
- factor Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surfa › (general) › Not specified
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level other cases naming the fuel system
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,731 hours in all; 1,050 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: March 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,229.7 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 1, 2007
- Maximum gross weight: 5,300 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney R 1340 AN1 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: APA Englewood CO at 3:55 pm
- Destination: ENV Wendover NV
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from EGE, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N12KY the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N12KY on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- North American SNJ-5 Texan (Navy) 136 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- North American 1,297 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney R 1340 AN1 64 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Centennial Airport · departed from
- Wendover Airport · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in Colorado 2,860 since 1982 · 383 in the last ten years
- Colorado 7,486 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N12KY 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/DEN08LA085.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.