Fk Lightplanes FK9 ELA SW accident near Canton, Georgia, January 4, 2014
On January 4, 2014 at about 8:30 pm local time, a 2010 Fk Lightplanes FK9 ELA SW, registered N611SP, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Canton, Georgia (Cherokee County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A partial loss of engine power during cruise flight due to an overly lean fuel-air mixture, which resulted from an incorrectly installed float chamber vent line and led to a subsequent off-airport landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 4, 2014 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Canton, Georgia · Cherokee County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Fk Lightplanes FK9 ELA SW, built 2010
- Registration
- N611SP · registry record · serial 09-419
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, while in cruise flight, the engine experienced a partial power loss. The airplane was unable to maintain altitude, so the pilot chose to perform an off-airport landing to an open field. During the landing roll, the airplane encountered a berm, became airborne, and then landed hard. Examination of the engine revealed that the carburetor float chamber vent lines had been incorrectly routed to the air filter. The engine manufacturer's installation manual cautioned that the float chamber vent lines must not be routed into the slipstream or down the firewall because "pressure differences between the intake pressure in the carburetor chambers may lead to engine malfunction due to incorrect fuel supply." Therefore, it is likely that the incorrectly installed vent line resulted in back pressure to the float bowl that exceeded the normal operating range, which would have affected the engine's fuel-air mixture and led to the partial 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
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (partial) during enroute (cruise)
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › (general) › Incorrect service/maintenance
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Installation › Maintenance personnel
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Rough terrain › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 83.6 hours in all; 16.7 in this make and model; 7.5 in the last 90 days; 4.5 in the last 30 days; 45.5 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 591 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, March 5, 2013; 61 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,144 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912ULS (piston); 591 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 0GA1 Hartwell GA at 8:00 pm
- Destination: RYY Atlanta GA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,500 ft; ovct at 1,500 ft
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 12°F (-11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.27 inHg
- Observation at 8:35 pm from KCNI, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
14 documents, released by the NTSB on March 31, 2015. 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.
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.