Pilot Debrief

WHITTMAN Tailwind near Orient, OH — 2018-07-12

Final reportCEN18LA275
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Date
2018-07-12
Location
Orient, OH, USA
Aircraft
WHITTMAN Tailwind
Registration
N619NT
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Climb

Probable cause

The pilot’s and the flight instructor's incorrect use of the modified mixture control, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel starvation and a forced landing. Also causal was the inadequate systems knowledge of the experimental, amateur-built airplane by the pilot and the flight instructor.

NTSB narrative

The private pilot, who was the owner of the experimental amateur-built airplane, was receiving instruction from a flight instructor during a familiarization flight when the airplane experienced a total loss of engine power while leveling off at 2,000 ft mean sea level. The flight instructor attempted to restart the engine by turning on the carburetor heat and the fuel pump but was not successful. The flight instructor then performed a forced landing to a field, during which the airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot stated that the airplane was equipped with an unconventional mixture control that was improperly used during flight and caused the engine to quit running. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed the mixture control had been modified from its original configuration; the full-forward position of the mixture control would provide a full lean mixture, opposite of the original configuration in which a full-forward position would have provided a full rich mixture. Thus, it is likely that fuel was inadvertently cut off during flight. There were no other mechanical malfunctions or anomalies reported that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane. The pilot recommended that "[b]etter and more thorough cockpit familiarization would have prevented the accident from occurring."

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Engine power loss
First missed decision gate
Proper cockpit familiarization could have prevented improper mixture control use.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 5 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents5

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