Amateur-built Europa accident near Upland, California, February 25, 2007
On February 25, 2007 at about 1:07 am local time, a amateur-built Europa, registered N81EU, was substantially damaged in an accident near Upland, California (Cable Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate condition inspection and subsequent loss of engine power due to fuel starvation as a result of a blocked fuel filter.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 25, 2007 · about 1:07 am local time
- Place
- Upland, California · Cable Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Europa
- Registration
- N81EU · no longer on the register · serial UK81
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said that he was departing on runway 24, and at approximately 80 feet above the runway, the engine lost power. He established a glide for a forced landing. The aircraft impacted a berm on the left side of the west end of the runway, bounced, and came to rest about 150 feet from the runway end. The engine compartment was broken from the fuselage at the firewall, and remained attached to the fuselage by control cables and wires. The pilot said that he had just finished a conditional inspection. He said that he put 5 gallons of fuel in the airplane prior to flight; it holds a maximum of approximately 18 gallons. He said that after the accident he found the fuel line, which led to the fuel filter, to be deteriorated. The pilot said that a small piece of rubber from the fuel line was blocking the filter's inlet. He believes that this was what led to the fuel starvation of the engine.
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: 1,700 hours in all; 948 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 1,700 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 948 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, February 1, 2007
- Maximum gross weight: 1,450 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912UL (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CCB Upland CA at 1:06 am
- Destination: CCB
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 3,864 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
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.