Czech Sport Aircraft Sport Cruiser accident near Logan, Utah, April 22, 2020
On April 22, 2020 at about 5:10 pm local time, a 2010 Czech Sport Aircraft Sport Cruiser, registered N802PS, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff (rejected takeoff) near Logan, Utah (Logan-Cache airport). It was an instructional 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 partial loss of engine power during takeoff due to vapor lock.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 22, 2020 · about 5:10 pm local time
- Place
- Logan, Utah · Logan-Cache · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Czech Sport Aircraft Sport Cruiser, built 2010
- Registration
- N802PS · no longer on the register · serial P1001032
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot was making his second solo cross-country flight. He completed the first leg and shut down the engine. When he restarted the engine to begin the next leg of the flight, it momentarily lost power during the magneto check, and he shut it down. After consulting his flight instructor by cell phone, he again started the engine, but the electric fuel pump sounded much louder than usual, so he shut the engine down. On the third engine start, the electric fuel pump remained louder than normal, and he noticed that the fuel pressure was fluctuating. The fuel pressure recovered to 3.5 pounds per square inch (psi), and he completed a normal engine run-up. Shortly thereafter, the pilot departed. As the airplane reached about 50 to 100 ft above ground level, the engine surged, and he noticed that the fuel pressure had decreased to 1.0 psi. He retarded the throttle to land. The airplane touched down hard and sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. After the accident, the engine was started and run for several minutes multiple times with no anomalies noted. Testing of the electric fuel pump revealed that it made a loud noise when air passed through it; therefore, the noise heard by the pilot during the engine starts was likely due to air in the fuel system. The accident airplane did not have a fuel bypass around the electric fuel pump, which the engine manufacture’s installation instructions warn is a necessary safeguard. Examination of onboard engine monitoring data revealed that during the climb, the fuel pressure suddenly decreased to 1.1 psi, and the fuel flow simultaneously reached 9.8 gallons per hour. The fuel flow continued to oscillate indicating that the fuel flow to the engine was experiencing intermittent interruptions consistent with fuel vaporizing in the fuel lines (vapor lock).
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
- Loss of engine power (partial) during takeoff (rejected takeoff) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine fuel and control › (general) › Malfunction
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Power plant › (general) › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 36 hours in all; 36 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 7 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,404 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, February 22, 2020; 47 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912ULS (piston); 1,404 hours total
- Operator: Platinum Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: LGU Logan UT at 5:10 pm
- Destination: U42 Salt Lake City UT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28, 4,075 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 7 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 10:51 am from KLGU
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on August 11, 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, 7 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Conversations | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Engine Examination Notes (Provided by Rotax) | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Raw Engine Monitor Data | data file | Download |
| 5 | Engine Monitor Data (Edited) | PDF, 1063 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Rotax Installation Manual Excerpts | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.