Czech SPORT CRUISER accident near Waterloo, Alabama, October 7, 2020
On October 7, 2020 at about 5:30 pm local time, a 2008 Czech SPORT CRUISER, registered N251SC, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Waterloo, Alabama. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The improper configuration of the airplane’s fuel system, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation following the failure of the electric fuel pump.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 7, 2020 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Waterloo, Alabama · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Czech SPORT CRUISER NO SERIES, built 2008
- Registration
- N251SC · no longer on the register · serial 08SC088
- 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’s spouse, he departed on the morning of the accident to return home from a cross-country trip. A search was initiated when the pilot did not return as expected, and the airplane was found in a heavily wooded area about 45 nautical miles from an intermediate airport where the pilot had stopped to refuel. Examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies with the flight controls and the examination of the engine did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. An examination of the fuel system revealed that an aftermarket electric automotive fuel pump was used in place of the recommended manufacturer’s fuel pump. The fuel pump was removed and connected directly to a 12-volt power source, and it did not operate. This type of fuel pump did not allow fuel bypass in the event of failure. According to the engine manufacturer’s fuel system installation instructions and a safety directive published by the airframe manufacturer, a bypass fuel line should be installed in the event of failure of the electric fuel pump, in order to enable a continuous supply of fuel to the engine. Based on the available information, it is likely that the pilot experienced a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation following the failure of the electric fuel pump. Also causal was the pilot’s decision to install the electric fuel pump with no bypass fuel line, contrary to published guidance from the airframe and engine manufacturers.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
- Fuel starvation during enroute (cruise) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Incorrect service/maintenance
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel pumps › Failure
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel distribution › Incorrect use/operation
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Installation › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Modification/alteration › Pilot
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Misc hardware › Hoses and tubes › Not installed/available
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 400 hours in all; 400 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,323 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912 ULS (piston); 787 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TKI Mckinney TX at 12:57 pm
- Destination: TN08 Oak Ridge TN
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 12:35 pm from CRX, 22 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KCRX 071735Z AUTO VRB03KT 10SM CLR 25/10 A3011 RMK AO2
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
10 documents, released by the NTSB on January 25, 2023. 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.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mfr Pilot's Spouse's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Witness Flight Track Statements | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Fueling Records | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Wreckage Examination Summary | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Maintenance Records | PDF, 12 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Sport Cruiser Fuel System Diagram | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Operators' Manual Excerpts Fuel Burn | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Safety Directive SA-SC-012 | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 9 | Investigative Photos | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 10 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
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.