Amateur-built PULSAR XP accident near Zelienople, Pennsylvania, October 9, 1995
On October 9, 1995 at about 9:30 pm local time, a amateur-built PULSAR XP, registered N95RK, was substantially damaged in an accident near Zelienople, Pennsylvania (Zelienople Municipal airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind 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
The pilot inadvertently allowed the airplane to lift-off during a high speed taxi check, while operating the airplane with a known deficiency that consisted of a partially blocked quick disconnect fitting, which resulted in fuel starvation and the loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 9, 1995 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Zelienople, Pennsylvania · Zelienople Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built PULSAR XP
- Registration
- N95RK · no longer on the register · serial 383
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane lifted off during a high speed taxi check. The pilot believed there was insufficient runway remaining to land and stop, so he continued climbing. During the climb, about 200 feet above the ground, the engine lost power. The pilot performed a forced landing, during which, the airplane impacted a wire and nosed down. Postaccident examination revealed that there was a fuel flow restriction at the left wing, quick disconnect fitting. The fuel selector was found positioned to the left tank, and fuel was observed leaking from the left tank. A safety bulletin was issued by the manufacturer, which stated that the quick disconnect fittings were restricting fuel flow, and the manufacturer 'advised everyone in the September, 1995 Newsletter to cease flight operations until replacing the quick disconnects.' Additionally, the pilot reported he had ordered the new quick disconnects, but had not received them as of the accident date.
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: 156 hours in all; 6 in the last 90 days; 81 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 1,050 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 8G7 at 9:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 4,102 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.