Pilot Debrief

PIETENPOL AIRCAMPER near Hanover, IL — 2023-08-20

Final reportCEN23LA372
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Date
2023-08-20
Location
Hanover, IL, USA
Aircraft
PIETENPOL AIRCAMPER
Registration
N929DH
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Cruise

Probable cause

The pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall during an attempted forced landing at low altitude. Contributing to the accident was the loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.

Contributing factors

Contributing to the accident was the loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.

NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, about 45 minutes after takeoff, the engine began to lose power and he attempted a forced landing to a hayfield. As the airplane descended toward the hayfield, the pilot allowed the airspeed to decrease. The airplane stalled and impacted a cornfield, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. Postaccident examination of the fuel system revealed that the fuel cap was loosely installed, and the sight glass indicated the fuel tank was nearly full. Fuel samples from the gascolator contained an unidentified white particulate, with no water detected. The throttle cable was disconnected at the carburetor; this was likely due to the fuselage separation during impact. Examination of the engine revealed no evidence of pre-impact failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. Examination of the fuel system revealed only a small amount of fuel in the carburetor bowl; however, it could not be determined whether that resulted from impact or an in-flight lack of fuel delivery to the carburetor. Although the FAA’s Carburetor Icing Chart revealed that the reported temperature and dew point conditions were conducive to the formation of carburetor icing at glide and cruise power, the investigation could not determine that the loss of engine power resulted from the formation of carburetor icing.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Engine power loss
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have checked fuel system before departure to ensure proper operation.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

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

Docket documents6

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