Amateur-built KOLB MARK III accident near Cashmere, Washington, September 17, 1998
On September 17, 1998 at about 6:20 pm local time, a amateur-built KOLB MARK III, registered N62691, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cashmere, Washington. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Fuel starvation caused by the partial blockage of the fuel pump chambers as a result of the misalignment of the fuel pump front cover by the pilot/builder. Factors include trees in the area in which the pilot attempted the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 17, 1998 · about 6:20 pm local time
- Place
- Cashmere, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built KOLB MARK III KOLB MARK
- Registration
- N62691 · registry record · serial M3-243
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While approximately 1,800 feet above the ground (AGL), during a full-power climb, the aircraft's engine lost power and the propeller stopped turning. The pilot, who was over a town at the time of the power loss, attempted a forced landing in an open field, but the airplane struck a tree during the flare/touchdown. It was later discovered that the front cover on the engine-driven fuel pump was out of alignment by 60 degrees, resulting in a restriction to fuel flow through the pump. The pilot, who was not aware of the alignment marks on the surface of the pump, said that he had disassembled and reassembled the pump while trying to fit it in the aircraft during the construction process.
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: 124 hours in all; 42 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 124 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 40 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 15, 1998; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 582 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 8S2 Cashmere WA at 6:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number SEA98LA181.