Pilot Debrief

OWENS VELOCITY 173 near Maricopa, AZ — 2013-03-25

Final reportWPR13LA161
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Date
2013-03-25
Location
Maricopa, AZ, USA
Airport
5AZ3
Aircraft
OWENS VELOCITY 173
Registration
N33SV
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Cruise

Probable cause

A loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination of the throttle body revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, after about 30 minutes in cruise flight, the engine began to run roughly, followed by a loss of power. The pilot attempted to restart the engine twice but was unsuccessful. He then initiated an emergency landing on a dirt road. During the landing roll, the left wing struck an irrigation pipe, which resulted in the airplane departing the road and coming to rest in a field. A postaccident engine examination revealed that the engine was modified with an Ellison throttle body under an experimental, amateur-built airworthiness certificate. Attempts to run the engine with the Ellison throttle body installed were unsuccessful. Once the throttle body was removed, the engine successfully started. An examination and teardown of the throttle body did not reveal any anomalies that would have caused the throttle body to malfunction.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Engine power loss
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have checked fuel levels before flight to ensure adequate fuel.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 2 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents2

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