Pilot Debrief

VELLINE'S BREEZY RLU-1 near Madison, GA — 2012-10-10

Final reportERA13LA015
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Date
2012-10-10
Location
Madison, GA, USA
Airport
52A
Aircraft
VELLINE'S BREEZY RLU-1
Registration
N255JL
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Serious
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Takeoff roll

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain airspeed following a loss of engine power during takeoff for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation, and the airplane’s subsequent aerodynamic stall.

NTSB narrative

Before takeoff, a witness observed the pilot performing a preflight inspection, during which the pilot appeared to check the fuel system for contaminants. The airplane subsequently departed and was observed to climb to between 150 and 200 feet above ground level before a witness heard a loud “bang” and noted black smoke trailing from the airplane. Additionally, several witnesses reported that the engine was “running rough.” The airplane continued to fly about the same altitude with the engine sputtering and running rough, emitting puffs of black smoke every 1 to 2 seconds. Several witnesses indicated that before the airplane flew past the departure end of the runway, it stalled, entered a spin, and impacted terrain. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed crankshaft, camshaft and valve train continuity. Examination of the ignition system revealed no discrepancies. The carburetor was removed and bench tested, which revealed that it produced a richer-than-specified fuel/air mixture at several throttle positions, including full throttle, which would be used for takeoff. However, it is unlikely that the overly rich fuel/air mixture caused the symptoms reported by the witnesses. Although weather conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to serious carburetor icing at glide power, the airplane was not operating at glide power during the accident takeoff. The investigation was unable to determine the cause of the power loss.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Engine power loss
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have aborted takeoff after engine began running rough.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 9 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents9

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