Pilot Debrief

Piper PA-24-180 near Humboldt, TN — 2020-05-29

Final reportERA20LA198
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Date
2020-05-29
Location
Humboldt, TN, USA
Airport
M53
Aircraft
Piper PA-24-180
Registration
N6989P
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Takeoff roll

Probable cause

A partial loss of engine power due to contaminated fuel.

NTSB narrative

New avionics had just been installed in the airplane after a 5 week wait, and the purpose of the accident flight was for the pilot to test fly the airplane with the installing mechanic. The pilot performed an uneventful preflight inspection of the airplane and after liftoff there was a reduction in engine rpm before the engine lost power completely. The pilot preformed a forced landing to a golf course, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. No mechanical anomalies were discovered during a postaccident examination of the engine that would have precluded normal operation; however, a fuel sample from the carburetor bowl displayed a cloudy (green/yellow) tint instead of the expected clear, blue coloring of aviation fuel. No other contamination was observed within the airplane’s fuel system and the source of the contamination could not be identified. Given this information, it is likely that the engine lost power due to contaminated fuel that migrated through the fuel system into the carburetor.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Engine power loss
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have aborted takeoff after initial engine shutter.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 4 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents4

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