Pilot Debrief

BLUMER CHALLENGER II SPEC near Peoria, AZ — 2013-02-26

Final reportWPR13LA134
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Date
2013-02-26
Location
Peoria, AZ, USA
Airport
P48
Aircraft
BLUMER CHALLENGER II SPEC
Registration
N107BW
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Approach

Probable cause

A cracked cooling fan housing, which led to a malfunction of the ignition system and a loss of engine power during the landing approach.

NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he was practicing touch-and-go landings. The airplane's engine lost power while on the base leg of the traffic pattern, and the pilot decided to land on a dirt road. He landed uneventfully, but a wing collided with a road sign during the landing roll. The airplane spun off the road into desert terrain and sustained substantial damage to the wing and fuselage. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed a cracked cooling fan housing that likely resulted in misalignment of the magnets in the ignition system, which led to an ignition failure and loss of engine power. The fan housing was not a manufacturer-supplied part.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Engine power loss
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have chosen a different landing site before engine failure.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 2 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents2

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