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).
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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 October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 7, 2022 · about 11:47 pm local time
- Place
- Hillsboro, Oregon · Portland-Hillsboro · 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
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel storage › Damaged/degraded
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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 WPR22LA203.