Pilot Debrief

BEECH A24 near Miami, FL — 2023-12-18

Final reportERA24LA070
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Date
2023-12-18
Location
Miami, FL, USA
Airport
TMB
Aircraft
BEECH A24
Registration
N52LV
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Initial climb

Probable cause

A partial loss of engine power during initial climb for undetermined reasons, resulting in a forced landing.

NTSB narrative

About 7 months before the accident, a different pilot rejected a takeoff roll uneventfully in the accident airplane due to a partial loss of engine power. Subsequent maintenance revealed water in the fuel system. The water was purged from the fuel system and a corroded electric fuel pump was replaced. The airplane was operated about 10 hours from the time of that maintenance until the accident. However, it had not flown for about 1 month before the accident. The pilot completed a preflight inspection, which included draining all three fuel sumps and adding 1 quart of oil to the engine. During the accident flight, the takeoff and first touch-and-go landing were completed uneventfully. During initial climb from a second touch-and-go landing, as the pilot retracted the landing gear about 100 ft above ground level (agl), the engine noise was quieter, and the airplane started to sink. She verified that the throttle, mixture, and propeller controls were full forward. However, the airplane continued to sink. She lowered the nose to avoid a stall and landed with the landing gear retracted on the runway. Examination of the accident site revealed that the wreckage came to rest upright in a grassy area about 75 ft from the departure end of the runway. All three propeller blades were curled at the tip and propeller gouge marks were observed in the asphalt at the end of the runway, consistent with engine power. The fuel tanks were full, and some water was recovered from the fuel system, but it was less than 1 ounce in total. No other anomalies were noted during a postaccident examination of the airframe and engine.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Engine power loss
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have ensured fuel system was clear before flight.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

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

Docket documents5

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