Pilot Debrief

PIPER PA-28-180 near San Andreas, CA — 2023-03-03

Final reportWPR23LA121
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Date
2023-03-03
Location
San Andreas, CA, USA
Airport
CPU
Aircraft
PIPER PA-28-180
Registration
N9375J
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Minor
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Initial climb

Probable cause

A loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.

NTSB narrative

The airplane had recently undergone extensive maintenance; the accident flight was a return leg to the pilot’s home airport after having flown the first leg earlier in the day. The initial departure was normal, and when reaching about 300 ft above ground level (agl), the engine suddenly lost power. The pilot attempted to return to the runway, but the airplane could not maintain altitude. The pilot performed an off-airport landing, and the airplane impacted terrain. A postaccident examination of the airplane and engine revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures. The carburetor was replaced two days before the accident; the examination did not find anomalies with the carburetor. There was no fuel found in the carburetor bowl, but it could not be determined if that was the condition at the time of impact or if the fuel system could deliver metered fuel to the engine. While the FAA's Carburetor Icing Chart revealed the probability of serious icing between cruise and glide power for the reported temperature and dew point conditions, the investigation could not conclusively determine that carburetor ice caused the loss of engine power.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Engine power loss
First missed decision gate
Performing a thorough preflight check of the carburetor after recent maintenance.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

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

Docket documents4

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