Narrative:

Experimental kit fox was assembled per skystar aircraft corp's documentation. Continental io-240b4b engine was installed with skystar's engine kit. The kit requires the installation of an angled extension between the intake manifold and throttle body to provide clearance from the cowl. This necessitates relocation of the fuel line to the fuel injection manifold. The fuel line is routed underneath the induction runners on the pilot side of the engine. This causes the fuel lien to rest on top of the engine cylinders. Skystar documentation does not caution about this possibility, nor is my training sufficient that I was aware of this problem. Problem was detected in-flight by myself when test flying the aircraft. When the engine shut down in-flight with highly fluctuating fuel flow, an uneventful emergency landing was made (without power). Solution: rerte fuel line away from source of heat. Need better documentation from skystar and better awareness training for experimental aircraft builders. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he thought he followed all of the engine installation instructions, but did not recall if the manufacturer of the kit specified the routing of the fuel line. Reporter stated that after having a problem with his engine it became obvious that the fuel line should not have been rted on top of the engine cylinders. Reporter stated that he was sure that if he had called the manufacturer's technical support line, he could have obtained information regarding proper installation of the fuel line.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EXPERIMENTAL ACFT ENG FAILURE DUE TO BUILDER RELOCATION OF ENG FUEL LINE.

Narrative: EXPERIMENTAL KIT FOX WAS ASSEMBLED PER SKYSTAR ACFT CORP'S DOCUMENTATION. CONTINENTAL IO-240B4B ENG WAS INSTALLED WITH SKYSTAR'S ENG KIT. THE KIT REQUIRES THE INSTALLATION OF AN ANGLED EXTENSION BTWN THE INTAKE MANIFOLD AND THROTTLE BODY TO PROVIDE CLRNC FROM THE COWL. THIS NECESSITATES RELOCATION OF THE FUEL LINE TO THE FUEL INJECTION MANIFOLD. THE FUEL LINE IS ROUTED UNDERNEATH THE INDUCTION RUNNERS ON THE PLT SIDE OF THE ENG. THIS CAUSES THE FUEL LIEN TO REST ON TOP OF THE ENG CYLINDERS. SKYSTAR DOCUMENTATION DOES NOT CAUTION ABOUT THIS POSSIBILITY, NOR IS MY TRAINING SUFFICIENT THAT I WAS AWARE OF THIS PROB. PROB WAS DETECTED INFLT BY MYSELF WHEN TEST FLYING THE ACFT. WHEN THE ENG SHUT DOWN INFLT WITH HIGHLY FLUCTUATING FUEL FLOW, AN UNEVENTFUL EMER LNDG WAS MADE (WITHOUT PWR). SOLUTION: RERTE FUEL LINE AWAY FROM SOURCE OF HEAT. NEED BETTER DOCUMENTATION FROM SKYSTAR AND BETTER AWARENESS TRAINING FOR EXPERIMENTAL ACFT BUILDERS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE THOUGHT HE FOLLOWED ALL OF THE ENG INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS, BUT DID NOT RECALL IF THE MANUFACTURER OF THE KIT SPECIFIED THE ROUTING OF THE FUEL LINE. RPTR STATED THAT AFTER HAVING A PROB WITH HIS ENG IT BECAME OBVIOUS THAT THE FUEL LINE SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN RTED ON TOP OF THE ENG CYLINDERS. RPTR STATED THAT HE WAS SURE THAT IF HE HAD CALLED THE MANUFACTURER'S TECHNICAL SUPPORT LINE, HE COULD HAVE OBTAINED INFO REGARDING PROPER INSTALLATION OF THE FUEL LINE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.