Pilot Debrief

SCODA AERONAUTICAL Super Petrel near Lancaster, CA — 2019-08-25

Final reportWPR19LA240
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Date
2019-08-25
Location
Lancaster, CA, USA
Airport
WJF
Aircraft
SCODA AERONAUTICAL Super Petrel
Registration
N632MM
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Descent

Probable cause

The improper sealing of both carburetor bowls, which resulted in a total loss of engine power.

NTSB narrative

While the pilot was descending toward the destination airport near the conclusion of the cross-country flight, the engine lost total power. The pilot subsequently performed a forced landing to a field, during which the right wing sustained substantial damage. During postaccident engine test runs, the engine lost power at high rpm settings. When the carburetor bowls were resealed, the engine ran with no anomalies noted. Both carburetor float bowls displayed contamination that likely affected the fuel flow to the engine; however, the extent to which the contamination contributed to the loss of engine power was not able to be determined during the investigation.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Engine power loss
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have checked for fuel contamination before descent.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

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

Docket documents8

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