Pilot Debrief

STINSON 108 1 near Bruno, MN — 2014-07-18

Final reportCEN14LA417
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Date
2014-07-18
Location
Bruno, MN, USA
Aircraft
STINSON 108 1
Registration
N9034K
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Climb

Probable cause

The total loss of engine power due to an anomaly with the carburetor system that could not be determined during postaccident examination.

NTSB narrative

According to the private pilot, after about 30 minutes of uneventful cross-country flight in the float-equipped airplane and about 2,000 ft above ground level, the engine sputtered for about 10 seconds and then lost all power. The pilot initiated emergency procedures for a restart and located an off-airport landing site while in an emergency descent. The airplane touched down on its floats in a grassy field. Examination of the airplane revealed structural damage to the fuselage adjacent to the float attachment points. No obvious anomalies were found with the engine or fuel system on scene. After the airplane wreckage was recovered, maintenance personnel were able to start and run the engine with an external fuel supply. The engine started and ran for about 30 seconds and then stopped. After the run attempt, the fuel gascolator and carburetor intake screen were removed and cleaned. No significant debris was found. After examining the remainder of the engine, the engine was started again, ran for about 1 minute, and stopped again. A replacement carburetor was then installed. The engine was started and ran normally with the replacement carburetor.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Engine power loss
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have checked fuel levels before departure to ensure adequate supply.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 3 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents3

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