20031012034569A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Frchld 42 · Wasilla, AK · October 12, 2003

Date: October 12, 2003 · 15:15 local
Place: Wasilla, AK
Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N106M
NTSB investigation: NTSBANC04LA003
Reported as: Frchld 42
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0

N106MRegistered now · Fairchild 42S/N 4 · Built 1929 Airframe modelFairchild 42 Engine modelPratt & Whitney R-985-AN-14BReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) The pilot indicated that he was in cruise flight with all of the engine indications reading normal. The pilot felt the engine shudder and then it quit at which time the emergency procedures were conducted and the engine would not restart. The aircraft was landed just short of the runway with substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. An observation was made of the carburetor from the aircraft being bench tested and inspected at aero recip in anchorage AK. Tear down of the carburetor found the float had a crack in the parting halves of the solder joint allowing the float to fill with fuel and sink in the carburetor bowl this resulted in improper performance of the engine.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PILOT INDICATED THAT HE WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT WITH ALL OF THE ENGINE INDICATIONS READING NORMAL. THE PILOT FELT THE ENGINE SHUDDER AND THEN IT QUIT AT WHICH TIME THE EMERGENCY PROCEDURES WERE CONDUCTED AND THE ENGINE WOULD NOT RESTART. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LANDED JUST SHORT OF THE RUNWAY WITH SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE WINGS AND FUSELAGE. AN OBSERVATION WAS MADE OF THE CARBURETOR FROM THE AIRCRAFT BEING BENCH TESTED AND INSPECTED AT AERO RECIP IN ANCHORAGE AK. TEAR DOWN OF THE CARBURETOR FOUND THE FLOAT HAD A CRACK IN THE PARTING HALVES OF THE SOLDER JOINT ALLOWING THE FLOAT TO FILL WITH FUEL AND SINK IN THE CARBURETOR BOWL THIS RESULTED IN IMPROPER PERFORMANCE OF THE ENGINE.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ANC04LA003Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportWasilla, AKThe inadequate inspection of the carburetor by the aircraft mechanic who had recently worked on the carburetor, which failed to detect a cracked float, resulting in a total loss of engine power during cruise flight. A factor associated with the accident was…Oct 12, 2003 · Substantial damage