What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Aircraft made a VFR departure on runway 17 at Rexburg-Madison county (rxe) at approximately 1550 MST for lincoln, CA. Approximately 150-200 feet in departure climb the engine quit and it did not restart. Pilot turned aircraft to the right (west bound) and descended into farm implement display lot where it impacted an earth chisel and slid approximately 40 feet before stopping on a hay bailer. The aircraft fuel tanks exploded upon impact and the pilot (sole occupant) sustained fatal injuries and the aircraft was deestroyed. One witness at the airport reported seeing the aircraft make a normal departure, then make a popping sound followed by a trail of black smoke before the engine quit. Other witness (off airport) made similar observations noting the aircraft was lower than normal with the landing gear retracted and saw a wisp of a black or grey smoke from the engine area. The aircraft came to rest 600 feet west of departure runway 17. (-23 amendment) NTSB representative informed me during engine tear down contamination was found in fuel distribution valve (spider) which did cause the engine to run excessively rich or lean depending what part of the fuel SC reen was blocked. Also the fuel pressure was approximately twice the normal value of what is recommended for this system. When and who made these changes are unknown at this time.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AIRCRAFT MADE A VFR DEPARTURE ON RUNWAY 17 AT REXBURG-MADISON COUNTY (RXE) AT APPROXIMATELY 1550 MST FOR LINCOLN, CA. APPROXIMATELY 150-200 FEET IN DEPARTURE CLIMB THE ENGINE QUIT AND IT DID NOT RESTART. PILOT TURNED AIRCRAFT TO THE RIGHT (WEST BOUND) AND DESCENDED INTO FARM IMPLEMENT DISPLAY LOT WHERE IT IMPACTED AN EARTH CHISEL AND SLID APPROXIMATELY 40 FEET BEFORE STOPPING ON A HAY BAILER. THE AIRCRAFT FUEL TANKS EXPLODED UPON IMPACT AND THE PILOT (SOLE OCCUPANT) SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS DEESTROYED. ONE WITNESS AT THE AIRPORT REPORTED SEEING THE AIRCRAFT MAKE A NORMAL DEPARTURE, THEN MAKE A POPPING SOUND FOLLOWED BY A TRAIL OF BLACK SMOKE BEFORE THE ENGINE QUIT. OTHER WITNESS (OFF AIRPORT) MADE SIMILAR OBSERVATIONS NOTING THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOWER THAN NORMAL WITH THE LANDING GEAR RETRACTED AND SAW A WISP OF A BLACK OR GREY SMOKE FROM THE ENGINE AREA. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST 600 FEET WEST OF DEPARTURE RUNWAY 17. (-23 AMENDMENT) NTSB REPRESENTATIVE INFORMED ME DURING ENGINE TEAR DOWN CONTAMINATION WAS FOUND IN FUEL DISTRIBUTION VALVE (SPIDER) WHICH DID CAUSE THE ENGINE TO RUN EXCESSIVELY RICH OR LEAN DEPENDING WHAT PART OF THE FUEL SC REEN WAS BLOCKED. ALSO THE FUEL PRESSURE WAS APPROXIMATELY TWICE THE NORMAL VALUE OF WHAT IS RECOMMENDED FOR THIS SYSTEM. WHEN AND WHO MADE THESE CHANGES ARE UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N6390U · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.