Amateur/Home Built/Experimental
Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Rotorcraft
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 10; Flight Crew Total 9000; Flight Crew Type 5
Confusion; Distraction; Situational Awareness; Training / Qualification; Troubleshooting; Workload
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Inflight Event / Encounter Fuel Issue; Inflight Event / Encounter Loss Of Aircraft Control; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Aircraft Aircraft Damaged; Flight Crew Diverted; Flight Crew Landed As Precaution; Flight Crew Rejected Takeoff; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action; General Maintenance Action
Aircraft; Human Factors; Weather
Took off climbing to 11;500 feet just before a mountain ridge. Smelled gas; one of fuel gages showed lower than normal and it got bumpier. Bumpiness got worse; and fuel smell got really bad. Turned around went back to airport; landed and checked aircraft fuel system; realized fuel tank was vented into the cockpit and there was wet fuel on baggage compartment floor. Refueled and attempted to take off. Lost control just before takeoff it was pretty gusty. Slid me off runway; into sand and heavy brush and hit pretty good size brush. Took power off just before the brush. Damage to right wheel; prop and cowling. Venting into pilots compartment is not a good deal. I never got off the ground. It was a ground loop.
The reporter stated that the aircraft's builder did not install an aux fuel tank in the aircraft during the initial assembly. Later the builder determined he should have the aux tank and installed it but did not properly vent it. The improper fuel vent into the cockpit lead to this entire event because he made a precautionary landing at what turned out to be a closed private runway. The takeoff event just capped a series of mistakes leading to damage following a ground loop.
A Thatcher CX4 pilot diverted because of a strong fuel smell and determined the auxiliary tank was vented into the cockpit. After refueling; he ran off the runway in gusty conditions and damaged the aircraft.