Morrisey RUTAN LONG EZE accident near Alvin, Texas, November 2, 1998
On November 2, 1998 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Morrisey RUTAN LONG EZE, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N21EE, was destroyed in an accident near Alvin, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 2, 1998 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Alvin, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Morrisey RUTAN LONG EZE RUTAN LONG, amateur-built
- Registration
- N21EE · no longer on the register · serial 1270
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane impacted a rice harvesting combine during a forced landing following a loss of engine power. The pilot stated that during cruise flight the 'engine rpm dropped rapidly' and turning on the fuel boost pump, switching the fuel selector from left to right then back to left, and checking the magneto switch did not restore engine power. The pilot did not recall checking the carburetor heat or the mixture control. During the final approach to a dirt road, which ran between two rice fields, the pilot realized that he was not going to clear the rice combine parked adjacent to the dirt road and leveled the wings just prior to impact. Examination of the engine revealed that there was a broken fuel line fitting on the output side of the engine driven fuel pump. The fitting was replaced and the engine was test-run for 20 minutes at various power and mixture settings. No anomalies were noted during the test-run. An NTSB metallurgist found that the fracture surface of the fuel line fitting 'contained ductile dimple features, typical of overstress separations.'
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 224 hours in all; 38 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 178 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 81 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 16, 1998; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,325 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: T02 Houston TX at 10:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:50 pm from EFD, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket 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.