Pilot Debrief

TAYLORCRAFT AVIATION CORP. F21 near Holliday, TX — 2023-08-07

Final reportCEN23LA351
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Date
2023-08-07
Location
Holliday, TX, USA
Aircraft
TAYLORCRAFT AVIATION CORP. F21
Registration
N2005J
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Approach

Probable cause

A loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined, which resulted in impact with terrain.

NTSB narrative

The pilot was landing the airplane at a private runway when he added additional engine power to clear trees and reach the runway. The pilot started to apply the throttle, but the airplane continued to sink. The pilot then applied full engine power to execute a go-around, but realized the engine was not producing power. The pilot observed that the engine did not stop operating but was not responsive to his throttle inputs. The pilot did not hear any abnormal noises from the engine, noting “[t]here were no coughing or sputtering noises to my recollection.” The left wing impacted a tree about 30 ft short of the runway and the airplane came to rest upright on a grass field. The pilot shut down the airplane and the two occupants egressed without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine found no mechanical anomalies. The pilot reported that the throttle cable might have been the potential cause for the lack of response from the engine, as there was a previous problem with the throttle cable “slipping.” During the postaccident examination, the throttle was found installed, intact, and there were no signs of any missing hardware. Although the pilot reported that he was not using carburetor heat on the approach, he indicated that on the final approach he was “carrying some power.” Additionally, the weather conditions at the time of the accident were not conducive to carburetor icing. Accordingly, the reason for the loss of engine power and the engine’s unresponsiveness to the pilot’s throttle inputs could not be determined.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Engine power loss
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have used carburetor heat to prevent potential icing issues.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

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

Docket documents9

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