20040328006549A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Maule M-7-260C · Crestin, CA · March 28, 2004

Date: March 28, 2004
Place: Crestin, CA
Airport: Private
Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N99KJ
NTSB investigation: NTSBLAX04LA171
Reported as: Maule M7260C
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 5,000 total800 in this make and model60 in the last 90 days

N99KJRegistered now · Maule M-7-260CS/N 30009C Airframe modelMaule M-7-260C

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 stated that the engine lost power during take off from a Private airfield near paso robles, California. According to the pilot the taxi and run-up were normal. During the initial takeoff climb, approximately 1000 feet above ground level the engine sputtered. The pilot changed the fuel selector from "both" position to "right" position and adjusted the mixture control. Partial power returned momentarily: shortly thereafter. The aircraft impacted the ground. During the forced landing, the right wing was torn from the fuselage and the right main landing broke off. The aircraft was removed from the crash site for further investigation by the NTSB. The NTSB investigation revealed that the exhaust system clamp (pin) failed which routed hot exhaust gases into the engine compartment and onto the fuel system causing a fuel vapor lock. The vapor lock caused the engine to eventually quit running for lack of fuel.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PILOT STATED THAT THE ENGINE LOST POWER DURING TAKE OFF FROM A PRIVATE AIRFIELD NEAR PASO ROBLES, CALIFORNIA. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT THE TAXI AND RUN-UP WERE NORMAL. DURING THE INITIAL TAKEOFF CLIMB, APPROXIMATELY 1000 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL THE ENGINE SPUTTERED. THE PILOT CHANGED THE FUEL SELECTOR FROM "BOTH" POSITION TO "RIGHT" POSITION AND ADJUSTED THE MIXTURE CONTROL. PARTIAL POWER RETURNED MOMENTARILY: SHORTLY THEREAFTER. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND. DURING THE FORCED LANDING, THE RIGHT WING WAS TORN FROM THE FUSELAGE AND THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING BROKE OFF. THE AIRCRAFT WAS REMOVED FROM THE CRASH SITE FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION BY THE NTSB. THE NTSB INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE EXHAUST SYSTEM CLAMP (PIN) FAILED WHICH ROUTED HOT EXHAUST GASES INTO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND ONTO THE FUEL SYSTEM CAUSING A FUEL VAPOR LOCK. THE VAPOR LOCK CAUSED THE ENGINE TO EVENTUALLY QUIT RUNNING FOR LACK OF FUEL.

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 LAX04LA171Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportPaso Robles, CAfuel system vapor lock due to the failure of the left exhaust stack clamp pin, which caused a separation of the exhaust stack from the muffler and the porting of hot exhaust gases onto the fuel lines.Mar 28, 2004 · Substantial damage