Icarus X USA 2016: Crash Debrief

During the last leg of the Icarus X USA race, disaster struck. My fuel line cracked which slowly let air into the fuel system ultimately causing the engine to die.
This wouldn't have been a huge deal, but it happened over a forest without any good emergency landing areas.
Watch as I talk about what happened while I await pickup at the Army Corps of Engineers office.

[@ChrisLawley43]

Nice video, if this is a hero 5 black camera put it on Wind only not stereo it will clean up the audio a lot.

[@mikebrady2073]

Congratulations on NOT hurting yourself ... I repeat, congratulations on not getting killed !!! What's up with the mic static and low volume audio pickup on your camera? Can barely hear you; need subtitles or voice over. So, you say the Prop is a little bit broken? Man, that Prop is totaled !!! (careful on re-interpretation of the historical record). Maybe the cage can be repaired or you have to replace a section or two. If the fuel line is cracked, you're LUCKY it didn't leak and start a in-flight fire. Don't use cheap clear vinyl tubing, especially if using auto fuel with ethanol; your suppose to be using only Avgas. Your fuel line needs to be made of the correct material and may also need a heat shielding from the muffler. As always, do a preflight check of the equipment the day before you use it and if anything is questionable, always FIX IT before flying. It helps ahead of time to scout the unfamiliar territory your planning on flying over (even if it's just google maps) and I believe the sponsors of the race are negligent in choosing a course without open spaces for emergency landing. I'm just saying ... BTW, any clues as to the cause of your past piston failure? (please include the financial $ cost of the repairs of your equipment in your next video posting, IMWTK).

[@yertnamreg]

Thanks! I apologize for the bad sound. I was using a GoPro that had the waterproof case on it.
I recently received a new prop and the replacement cage pieces. Repairs are complete and the unit is like new. I had my first flight since the crash this past week. I'm aware of the best practices for the fuel system and have replaced the old tygon lines with new ones. I believe the line's age and exposure to UV to be the culprit.
In regard to the route of the race, I was by far one of the most prepared pilots. I had been studying the course for weeks beforehand using google maps. The stretch I went down in was one of the only areas in the race without good LZs. I could have gone another route, but it would have added roughly 20 miles to my course. I knew the risks, accepted them, and dealt with the consequences.
No clues on the cause of the piston failure. I replaced the piston and jug which cost roughly $500 in parts. The majority of the cost was the jug. New propellor was $400, replacement cage pieces were $750, and wing repairs were $100. It seems expensive, but compared to other forms of aviation it's very affordable.