Fokker DR1 accident near Wake, Virginia, October 1, 2020
On October 1, 2020 at about 3:15 pm local time, a 2019 Fokker DR1, registered N512FH, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Wake, Virginia (Hummel Field 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 total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation as the result of the improper installation of the ram air fuel vent tube, which resulted in the tube separating from the airplane during taxi and subsequent negative pressure inside the fuel tank.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 1, 2020 · about 3:15 pm local time
- Place
- Wake, Virginia · Hummel Field Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Fokker DR1, built 2019
- Registration
- N512FH · no longer on the register · serial 20190401
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed in the experimental airplane for a local flight. While in cruise flight about 25 minutes after departure, the engine lost all power. When his attempts to restore power were unsuccessful, he performed a forced landing to a field, during which the airplane impacted power lines, landed in the field, nosed over, and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the top wing and forward fuselage. The day after the accident, the pilot found the copper ram-air fuel vent tube on the taxiway between the hangar and the runway. The tube had electrical tape wrapped around the mounting end, presumably installed to increase its diameter to fit the larger diameter rubber tubing of the fuel tank vent line where it was previously attached and held in place by a hose clamp. The pilot surmised that the electrical tape had deteriorated due to contact with fuel, allowing the tube to separate from the rubber vent line. He further surmised that the fuel tank was insufficiently vented during the flight due to missing ram air tube, and the negative pressure in the fuel tank after 25 minutes of flight resulted in fuel starvation to the engine. The engine was successfully started and run after the accident during the examination performed by the pilot and his mechanic.
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 landing
- Fuel starvation during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (cruise)
- Off-field or emergency landing during enroute (cruise)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › (general) › Incorrect service/maintenance
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › (general) › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,395 hours in all; 25 in this make and model; 175 in the last 90 days; 73 in the last 30 days; 2,995 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 10, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 24 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, September 18, 2020
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-B2A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Forgotten Heroes Foundation
The flight
- Departed from: W75 Saluda VA at 2:50 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 11:15 am from FYJ, 16 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KFYJ 011515Z AUTO 25005KT 10SM CLR 22/14 A2997 RMK AO1 T02160138
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.
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.