Pilot Debrief

BOEING A75N1 near Livermore Falls, ME — 2009-08-01

Final reportERA09LA433
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Date
2009-08-01
Location
Livermore Falls, ME, USA
Airport
B10
Aircraft
BOEING A75N1
Registration
N49778
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Takeoff roll

Probable cause

A loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.

NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that during the takeoff roll, the engine began to lose power. With insufficient runway remaining to stop, he elected to continue the takeoff. The engine continued to lose power and the airplane settled into the trees, resulting in structural damage to the wings. Postaccident inspection of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed no evidence of preexisting mechanical anomalies. The engine ran satisfactorily after the accident; however a full-power run was not conducted due to propeller damage. The pilot reported that the grass in the run-up area was wet, with standing water, and that conditions were “ideal for the formation of carburetor ice.” While the Federal Aviation Administration's Carburetor Icing Chart revealed “Serious icing (glide power)” for the reported temperature and dew point conditions, the investigation could not conclusively determine that carburetor ice caused the loss of engine power.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Engine power loss
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have aborted takeoff when engine began to lose power.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 2 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents2

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