Kolb FIRESTAR accident near Durham, North Carolina, December 11, 2020
On December 11, 2020 at about 6:00 pm local time, a 1994 Kolb FIRESTAR, registered N7094T, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Durham, North Carolina (Lake Ridge Aero Park 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 a degraded fuel primer check valve.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 11, 2020 · about 6:00 pm local time · cases in 2020
- Place
- Durham, North Carolina · Lake Ridge Aero Park Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Kolb FIRESTAR II, built 1994 · all FIRESTARs on the register
- Registration
- N7094T · registry record · serial 522
- 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 about 20 minutes into the flight, at an altitude about 500 ft above ground level, the engine started losing power. The pilot noted no anomalies on the engine monitoring system, but his attempts to increase engine power were unsuccessful, and he chose to conduct a forced landing in a lake. During the landing flare, the wheels contacted the water surface and the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted and submerged. Examination of the airplane following recovery from the lake revealed that the fuel primer bulb was missing a spring on the fuel inlet check valve, which prevented the check ball from seating properly. This likely blocked the incoming fuel and thereby resulted in fuel starvation and the total 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
- Fuel starvation during enroute defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during enroute
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel transfer valve › Damaged/degraded other cases naming the fuel system
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel transfer valve › Malfunction other cases naming the fuel system
Pilot
- Certificate: sport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,420 hours in all; 44.2 in this make and model; 23 in the last 90 days; 8.8 in the last 30 days; 2,400 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 7, 2020
- Medical certificate: BasicMed
- Seat: frt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 438 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, June 15, 2020
- Maximum gross weight: 700 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 503DCDI (piston); 30 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 8NC8 Durham NC at 5:40 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.18 inHg
- Observation at 1:51 pm from RDU, 3 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 2 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on September 30, 2022. 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot's Original Statement to FAA | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | FAA Inspectors Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Maintenance Record Excerpt | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Memorandum for Record_email Summary of Examination Findings | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Photo Array_ Accident and Damage Photographs | PDF, 4 pages · our copy | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N7094T on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Kolb FIRESTAR 9 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Kolb 41 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Rotax 503DCDI 561 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Lake Ridge Aero Park Airport · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in North Carolina 1,762 since 1982 · 304 in the last ten years
- North Carolina 7,126 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA21LA075.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.