What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 03/04/2011 at aproximately 10:00, privacy data omitted iii took off from kctj for the purpose of providing instrument flight instruction. After leveling off at 2000 ft and approxmately 4 miles from the airport, jprivacy data omitted contacted ATC to get IFR clearance, at which time privacy data omitted saw smoke and stated to ATC he was returning to kctj. Jones flew back to kctj, landed, allowed the aircraft to roll into the grass median, and exited the aircraft. The entire aircraft burned. This flight was the first after the performance and sign off of an annual inspection on 03/01/2011.the instructor and student both stated there was no fuel pressure indicated but the engine ran fine, so they flew anyway. This aircraft uses a float carb with two fuel inlet lines; one from the engine driven pump, the other from the boost pump. A t-fitting in the boost pump line provides fuel pressure to the cockpit fuel pressure indicator. An annual inspection requires cleaning of the fuel strainer in the carburetor. Removal of one of the two fuel inlet fittings to the carburetor is required to access the strainer for cleaning. The carb melted in the fire. The condition of the two fuel inlet fittings were different. The fitting on the line from the engine driven pump has molten aluminum in the threads from the melting carburetor. The fuel inlet fitting on the line from the boost pump has no aluminum in the threads except for lumps of aluminum dripped on one side from above the fitting, consistent with a fitting that was not reinstalled after cleaning the strainer. With only the fuel inlet fitting from the engine driven pump installed and the fuel inlet fitting from the boost pump not installed, the engine will run but fuel will also flow from the boost pump fitting side of the carburetor and no fuel pressure would be indicated.
As the FAA filed it
ON 03/04/2011 AT APROXIMATELY 10:00, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ III TOOK OFF FROM KCTJ FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROVIDING INSTRUMENT FLIGHT INSTRUCTION. AFTER LEVELING OFF AT 2000 FT AND APPROXMATELY 4 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT, J^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CONTACTED ATC TO GET IFR CLEARANCE, AT WHICH TIME ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SAW SMOKE AND STATED TO ATC HE WAS RETURNING TO KCTJ. JONES FLEW BACK TO KCTJ, LANDED, ALLOWED THE AIRCRAFT TO ROLL INTO THE GRASS MEDIAN, AND EXITED THE AIRCRAFT. THE ENTIRE AIRCRAFT BURNED.THIS FLIGHT WAS THE FIRST AFTER THE PERFORMANCE AND SIGN OFF OF AN ANNUAL INSPECTION ON 03/01/2011.THE INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT BOTH STATED THERE WAS NO FUEL PRESSURE INDICATED BUT THE ENGINE RAN FINE, SO THEY FLEW ANYWAY.THIS AIRCRAFT USES A FLOAT CARB WITH TWO FUEL INLET LINES; ONE FROM THE ENGINE DRIVEN PUMP, THE OTHER FROM THE BOOST PUMP. A T-FITTING IN THE BOOST PUMP LINE PROVIDES FUEL PRESSURE TO THE COCKPIT FUEL PRESSURE INDICATOR.AN ANNUAL INSPECTION REQUIRES CLEANING OF THE FUEL STRAINER IN THE CARBURETOR. REMOVAL OF ONE OF THE TWO FUEL INLET FITTINGS TO THE CARBURETOR IS REQUIRED TO ACCESS THE STRAINER FOR CLEANING.THE CARB MELTED IN THE FIRE. THE CONDITION OF THE TWO FUEL INLET FITTINGS WERE DIFFERENT. THE FITTING ON THE LINE FROM THE ENGINE DRIVEN PUMP HAS MOLTEN ALUMINUM IN THE THREADS FROM THE MELTING CARBURETOR. THE FUEL INLET FITTING ON THE LINE FROM THE BOOST PUMP HAS NO ALUMINUM IN THE THREADS EXCEPT FOR LUMPS OF ALUMINUM DRIPPED ON ONE SIDE FROM ABOVE THE FITTING, CONSISTENT WITH A FITTING THAT WAS NOT REINSTALLED AFTER CLEANING THE STRAINER. WITH ONLY THE FUEL INLET FITTING FROM THE ENGINE DRIVEN PUMP INSTALLED AND THE FUEL INLET FITTING FROM THE BOOST PUMP NOT INSTALLED, THE ENGINE WILL RUN BUT FUEL WILL ALSO FLOW FROM THE BOOST PUMP FITTING SIDE OF THE CARBURETOR AND NO FUEL PRESSURE WOULD BE INDICATED.
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 N6015F · 1
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