Pilot Debrief

CHAMPION 7FC near Hawkinsville, GA — 2023-10-03

Final reportERA24LA023
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Date
2023-10-03
Location
Hawkinsville, GA, USA
Aircraft
CHAMPION 7FC
Registration
N4878E
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Cruise

Probable cause

The failure of the carburetor fuel line, which resulted in fuel starvation.

NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that about halfway through the flight the engine started to lose power. Unable to regain sufficient power, the pilot made an emergency landing in a field; the airplane collided with a stump and sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed fuel staining on the inside of the engine cowling due to the carburetor fuel line leaking from the braided outer casing. Examination of the fuel line revealed that it was brittle and cracked on the inside, which prevented fuel from being supplied to the carburetor.Not in docket. After the fuel line was removed and replaced with a serviceable line, the engine was started and ran continuously with no anomalies noted. No entries were found in the maintenance logbooks that showing replacement of the fuel line. The last inspection entry in the engine logbook was an annual inspection dated 6 months before the accident, that noted an inspection of the fuel system. An external visual check of the fuel line alone would not have alerted the mechanic to its condition.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Engine power loss
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have performed maintenance on the fuel line before the flight.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

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

Docket documents5

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