Pilot Debrief

MAULE M 7-260C near Oregon, MO — 2015-03-10

Final reportCEN15LA170
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Date
2015-03-10
Location
Oregon, MO, USA
Aircraft
MAULE M 7-260C
Registration
N55000
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Cruise

Probable cause

Engine vibration for reasons that could not be determined based on the available evidence.

NTSB narrative

The airline transport pilot was conducting a cross-country personal flight. The pilot reported that, after climbing the airplane to cruise altitude and leaning the fuel mixture, he noted an unusual engine vibration. He enriched the fuel mixture slightly, and the vibration seemed to lessen. After descending and increasing power to level off, the engine vibration worsened, and he chose to perform a precautionary off-airport landing. During the landing, the landing gear "dug in," and the airplane subsequently nosed over. Testing of the engine's fuel system components revealed that the fuel servo fuel flow was slightly richer than the specified service limits. However, according to the pilot's report, the initial engine vibration did not occur until he leaned the fuel mixture at cruise altitude, indicating that the slightly rich calibration of the fuel servo likely was not associated with the engine vibration described by the pilot. Based on the available evidence, the reason for the engine vibration could not be determined.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Engine power loss
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have opted for an earlier landing instead of continuing to cruise.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 4 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents4

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