Pilot Debrief

EXTRA FLUGZEUGPRODUKTIONS-UND EA 300 near Las Vegas, NV — 2014-11-05

Final reportWPR15LA034
Sign in to save
Date
2014-11-05
Location
Las Vegas, NV, USA
Airport
KHND
Aircraft
EXTRA FLUGZEUGPRODUKTIONS-UND EA 300
Registration
N369XT
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

A partial loss of engine power during cruise flight for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination of the engine did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

NTSB narrative

The commercial pilot reported that, while at 3,000 ft above ground level and on a long final to the runway, he advanced the propeller condition lever to full forward and that he then felt a loss of engine power. He checked that the mixture was full rich and that he had the center fuel tank selected. The propeller continued to windmill while he unsuccessfully attempted to restart the engine twice. He decided not to feather the propeller. The pilot realized that the airplane was not going to reach the runway and made a sudden left turn in an attempt to land on a road that paralleled the airport fence line. During the off-field landing, the right wing and landing gear sustained structural damage. Examination of the airplane revealed that fuel was present in the center and left wing fuel tanks but that the right wing fuel tank was empty. Examination of the propeller governor, engine, and airframe revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. A sound spectrum study of audio recorded by a GoPro camera onboard the airplane verified that, about 1 minute before the accident, the engine rpm began fluctuating and that it then steadily dropped off to about half the normal engine operating rpm by the time of impact.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

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

Docket documents7

Related mishaps