Czech Sport Aircraft A S SPORTCRUISER accident near Hillsboro, Oregon, June 7, 2022
On June 7, 2022 at about 11:47 pm local time, a 2013 Czech Sport Aircraft A S SPORTCRUISER, registered N565L, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Hillsboro, Oregon (Portland-Hillsboro 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
A missing fuel filler cap O-ring, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to water contamination in the fuel.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 7, 2022 · about 11:47 pm local time · cases in 2022
- Place
- Hillsboro, Oregon · Portland-Hillsboro · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Czech Sport Aircraft A S SPORTCRUISER, built 2013 · all SPORTCRUISERs on the register
- Registration
- N565L · no longer on the register · serial C0486
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Shortly after takeoff, having reached an altitude of between 100 to 200 ft above ground level, the airplane’s engine lost total power. The pilot then switched from the left to the right fuel tank and verified that the fuel pump was on. With limited time to troubleshoot and at an altitude too low to deploy the ballistic recovery parachute, he performed a forced landing directly ahead. The airplane struck a fence and sustained substantial damage. The airplane had been parked outside and not flown for about 6 weeks before the accident. During this time, it had been moved from its usual paved tie-down location to a temporary grass tie-down location and, several rain showers had passed through the area. Following the accident, 6 ounces of water were found in the left (takeoff) fuel tank, and the entire fuel system was found to be contaminated with water. Examination revealed that the water likely entered the left tank through the fuel filler cap, which was missing its O-ring seal. Although the pilot drained fuel from the left-wing sump before engine start, he may not have observed any water as the airplane was parked on an uneven grass surface, which may have resulted in the water settling away from the sump drain. Another possibility is that so much water was present that the pilot’s sump container was full of only water, which he misidentified as fuel rather than the globules of water typically observed during sumping operations.
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 (total) during initial climb
- Off-field or emergency landing during initial climb
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Fuel contamination during initial climb defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid condition other cases naming the fuel system
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel storage › Damaged/degraded other cases naming the fuel system
Pilot
- Certificate: sport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 205.9 hours in all; 175.9 in this make and model; 11.9 in the last 90 days; 130 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 22, 2021
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,195.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 24, 2022; 12 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,310 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912ULS2 (piston); 1,162 hours total
The flight
- Destination: BFI Seattle WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31L, 6,600 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.91 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from KHIO
Weather report (METAR): KHIO 072353Z 26005KT 10SM CLR 22/10 A2991 RMK AO2 SLP128 T02170100 10222 20189 50002
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 1 picture from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
8 documents, released by the NTSB on April 10, 2024. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot and Mechanic Memorandum of Record | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 3 | NTSB Examination Report | PDF, 13 pages | View Download |
| 4 | NTSB Examination Report - Attachment 1 | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Data Recovered from Dynon Skyview Unit | data file | Download |
| 6 | Maintenance Logbook Excerpts | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Photo | PDF, 1 page · our copy | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N565L: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Czech Sport Aircraft A S SPORTCRUISER 143 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Czech Sport Aircraft A S 143 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Rotax 912ULS2 209 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Portland-Hillsboro Airport · nearest airport
- Boeing Fld/King County International · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in Oregon 1,864 since 1982 · 279 in the last ten years
- Oregon 7,011 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR22LA203.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.