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20110729016819A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Hurley Richard A CAVALIER SA102.5 · Salem, IA · July 29, 2011

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 29, 2011 · 10:04 local
Place
Salem, IA
Airport
Mt. Pleasant
Phase of flight
Descent
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N115RH
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN11LA539
Reported as
Hurley Richard A Cavalier SA102.5
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-290
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
4,811 total115 in this make and model16 in the last 90 days
N115RHRegistration cancelled Nov 9, 2011 · Hurley Richard A CAVALIER SA102.5S/N 81002LF3 · Built 1985Airframe modelHurley Richard A CAVALIER SA102.5Engine modelLycoming 0-290 series4 cycle

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.

The pilot stated he was descending into the Mt. Pleasant (mpz) airport, and at about 2000 feet, the engine began to run rough. The pilot said he actuated the carburetor heat and increased the mixture, and the engine begain to run smooth again. Shortly after that, the engine started losing power again. The pilot stated he tried selecting the right and left tanks with the electric fuel pump on. Nothing he did helped. He was unable to maintain altitude and crashed in a corn field near the town of Salem, Iowa, which is just southwest of the Mt. Pleasant Airport. One blade of the composite propeller had no visible damage; the other blade was broken off, suggesting the aircraft was not producing power at impact. The left wing tip fuel tank had a small amount of fuel; the right wing tip tank was about half full. Compression and spark were verified at all cylinders and both magnetos. The spark plugs were clean and dry. The combination fuel sump/bowl was dislodged and open to the air. There was no fuel or fuel residue in the bowl. The fuel screen was inspected and was found to be clean. The fuel selector in the aircraft was in the left position. An eyewitness statement indicates that the aircraft was sputtering and missing, and the aircraft wings were swaying slightly side to side.

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT STATED HE WAS DESCENDING INTO THE MT. PLEASANT (MPZ) AIRPORT, AND AT ABOUT 2000 FEET, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH. THE PILOT SAID HE ACTUATED THE CARBURETOR HEAT AND INCREASED THE MIXTURE, AND THE ENGINE BEGAIN TO RUN SMOOTH AGAIN. SHORTLY AFTER THAT, THE ENGINE STARTED LOSING POWER AGAIN. THE PILOT STATED HE TRIED SELECTING THE RIGHT AND LEFT TANKS WITH THE ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP ON. NOTHING HE DID HELPED. HE WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE AND CRASHED IN A CORN FIELD NEAR THE TOWN OF SALEM, IOWA, WHICH IS JUST SOUTHWEST OF THE MT. PLEASANT AIRPORT.ONE BLADE OF THE COMPOSITE PROPELLER HAD NO VISIBLE DAMAGE; THE OTHER BLADE WAS BROKEN OFF, SUGGESTING THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT PRODUCING POWER AT IMPACT. THE LEFT WING TIP FUEL TANK HAD A SMALL AMOUNT OF FUEL; THE RIGHT WING TIP TANK WAS ABOUT HALF FULL. COMPRESSION AND SPARK WERE VERIFIED AT ALL CYLINDERS AND BOTH MAGNETOS. THE SPARK PLUGS WERE CLEAN AND DRY. THE COMBINATION FUEL SUMP/BOWL WAS DISLODGED AND OPEN TO THE AIR. THERE WAS NO FUEL OR FUEL RESIDUE IN THE BOWL. THE FUEL SCREEN WAS INSPECTED AND WAS FOUND TO BE CLEAN. THE FUEL SELECTOR IN THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN THE LEFT POSITION. AN EYEWITNESS STATEMENT INDICATES THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS SPUTTERING AND MISSING, AND THE AIRCRAFT WINGS WERE SWAYING SLIGHTLY SIDE TO SIDE.

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 CEN11LA539Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportSalem, IAThe partial loss of engine power due to the formation of carburetor ice.Jul 29, 2011 · Substantial damage