Fuel Filter Contamination

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Bob McLane			    s/n329
(513) 364-6003

"Engine stoppage caused by blocked fuel tank vent - this is a design defect.  
Using too small an I.D. plastic tube easily constricted and blocked.  
Advise people to use 3/8" aluminum tubing for this.  Aircraft glided into 
poor terrain and crashed."

PIREP Submitted by: Mark D. Watkins
3/28/88

I understand that you are publishing a newsletter on the Moni aircraft. I would like to relate my experience with my Moni 19MW.

I had been flying 19MW for approximately 60 hours over a period of about a year and a half. The aircraft was a standard gear model and a delight to fly. On this particular day I had been airport hoping and visiting friends. I departed the last airport, when at approximately 350 ft. the engine quit. The airport was surrounded by a tall pine forest. I felt that with close to a 20/1 glide ratio I should be able to return to the airport and I started a left turn. I was also concerned about a possible fire in the event of a crash and I began turning the fuel shut-off valve off. This valve is quite difficult to reach while strapped into the shoulder harness. While turning this valve off, I inadvertently pulled back on the stick. I felt the airplane shudder as it stalled and it fell off into a left spin. I have had spin training and I believe it saved my life as I was able to stop the spin but there was not enough altitude to pull out of the dive. I took a pine tree on the right wing root. The main spar ripped to the rear and tore the bottom of the aircraft out. In its path it struck the fiberglass seat and the force broke my back. The restraining harness performed quite well and although I was heavily bruised in all areas of contact with the harness, it saved my life. I spent several months in the hospital and am now able to walk short distances with braces and crutches.

In examining the wreckage the FAA found that the fuel starvation was caused by a very fine filter in the fuel shut-off valve which had clogged due to a "varnish". The fuel had always been filtered prior to being placed in the tank. I was not aware that this fine mesh filter was in the tank and the manual says nothing about servicing this filter.

I would like to make a few recommendations which I hope will prevent someone else from having a similar or worse accident.

1. Remove this filter and replace it with an approved and more accessible filter.

2. Replace the fuel shut-off valve with on that can be reached easily in flight and one that only requires a 90 degree turn from ON to OFF positions. The ON in my aircraft required three full turns from ON to OFF positions.

3. Do like all your instructors taught you, "Fly the plane at all times."

4. If you haven't had spin training, by all means get some. Like my instructor said, "In spins below 1000 ft. there are only two kinds of pilots, the quick and the dead."

Enjoy flying your Moni, I really miss mine.

Sincerely,

Mark D. Watkins

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