What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft was on a test flight when it lost power, the pilot attempted to land the acft on a highway exit ramp, and the acft struck a telephone pole, other circumstances are unknown. (.4) the pilot stated that the flight departed with full fuel and after takeoff, he orbited the airport about 10-15 minutes at 1,100 feet AGL, then proceeded on course at the same altitude. About 10-15 minutes later, he noted that the CHT increased but the oil pressure and temperature indications were normal. He verified the mixture control was in the full rich position and continued the flight, noting that the CHT continued to increase. He applied throttle to maintain altitude but the CHT increased and at that time, the engine RPM began to decrease. Unable to maintain altitude, he selected a site for a forced landing but was unable to land there due to a total loss of engine power. While descending for a forced landing on a off-ramp of a highway, the right wing collided with a light pole. The airplane then rolled inverted and impacted a fence. Examination of the engine by an FAA airworthiness inspector revealed that a plastic 90-degree fitting located at the inlet of the carburetor was broken. Addit ionally, all cylinder heads were found to be cracked between spark plug holes. Impact damage to the right aft cylinder head was noted. (-23)on March 1, 1999, at approximately 1530 hours, the pilot experienced a loss of engine power while at cruise altitude. The aircraft impacted a telephone pole while attempting an offfield landing alongside I-385 in Simpsonville, SC. The aircraft sustained substantial damage and there were no injuries to the pilot. Subsequent investigation revealed the fitting for the fuel line on the carburetor had broken.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT WAS ON A TEST FLIGHT WHEN IT LOST POWER, THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO LAND THE ACFT ON A HIGHWAY EXIT RAMP, AND THE ACFT STRUCK A TELEPHONE POLE, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (.4) THE PILOT STATED THAT THE FLIGHT DEPARTED WITH FULL FUEL AND AFTER TAKEOFF, HE ORBITED THE AIRPORT ABOUT 10-15 MINUTES AT 1,100 FEET AGL, THEN PROCEEDED ON COURSE AT THE SAME ALTITUDE. ABOUT 10-15 MINUTES LATER, HE NOTED THAT THE CHT INCREASED BUT THE OIL PRESSURE AND TEMPERATURE INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL. HE VERIFIED THE MIXTURE CONTROL WAS IN THE FULL RICH POSITION AND CONTINUED THE FLIGHT, NOTING THAT THE CHT CONTINUED TO INCREASE. HE APPLIED THROTTLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE BUT THE CHT INCREASED AND AT THAT TIME, THE ENGINE RPM BEGAN TO DECREASE. UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE, HE SELECTED A SITE FOR A FORCED LANDING BUT WAS UNABLE TO LAND THERE DUE TO A TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. WHILE DESCENDING FOR A FORCED LANDING ON A OFF-RAMP OF A HIGHWAY, THE RIGHT WING COLLIDED WITH A LIGHT POLE. THE AIRPLANE THEN ROLLED INVERTED AND IMPACTED A FENCE. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE BY AN FAA AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTOR REVEALED THAT A PLASTIC 90-DEGREE FITTING LOCATED AT THE INLET OF THE CARBURETOR WAS BROKEN. ADDIT IONALLY, ALL CYLINDER HEADS WERE FOUND TO BE CRACKED BETWEEN SPARK PLUG HOLES. IMPACT DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT AFT CYLINDER HEAD WAS NOTED. (-23)ON MARCH 1, 1999, AT APPROXIMATELY 1530 HOURS, THE PILOT EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER WHILE AT CRUISE ALTITUDE. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED A TELEPHONE POLE WHILE ATTEMPTING AN OFFFIELD LANDING ALONGSIDE I-385 IN SIMPSONVILLE, SC. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE PILOT. SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE FITTING FOR THE FUEL LINE ON THE CARBURETOR HAD BROKEN.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.