What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft landed gear up at tqh on December 23, 2015. Aircraft had taken off from tqh at approximately 1520 pm . Pilot reported aircraft lost power on to at approximately 2500-3000 ft AGL. Pilot attempted to execute a 180 degree turn and land at the runway he had just departed from. At one point in the pilot's narrative he stated the engine quit after takeoff and momentarily restarted on his attempt to return to the runway. .
Pilot stated he left the gear up to increase his glide distance in order to make it back to the runway. No attempt was made to put the gear down for landing or flaps down.
Aircraft touched down approximately 750-800 feet from north end of runway 35(rnwy 17). Aircraft skidded on the belly for approximately 500 ft. there was no fire. Aircraft sustained damage to the belly area skins and fuselage frames. Nose gear doors sustained damage; engine exhaust pipes were ground off, roughly 2 inches. Propeller had all 3 blades curled back approximately 12 inches of each tip.
Aircraft fuel tanks indicated full on left and roughly 1/2 tank on right. Fuel selector was in off position at the time of this investigation. Both fuel tanks were sumped with no indication of contamination.
Engine controls were checked for continuity; no discrepancies noted.
No oil leakage noted .
Prop blade strikes on runway indicate the engine was running and developing some power.
1/20/2016 - Subsequent investigation found all cylinders have proper compression, crankshaft rotates through all phases of combustion cycle, valves operate properly with crankshaft rotation. Checked propeller for proper operation of pitch change and found satisfactory.
At this time no discrepancies noted that indicate cause of pilot report of "lost power" .
2/24/2016 Engine was run . Engine ran rough and cut out until boost pump was turned on and then run satisfactory. Found b-nut on fuel inlet line to fuel pump not fully tight. B- nut was not loose to the point of leaking fuel though.
Tightened b-nut and engine run smoothly.
It is suspected this condition would have caused the engine fuel mixture to be lean enough to have a lower than maximum power and enough to give the pilot the impression he had "lost power".
It is suspected b-nut was not fully torqued during the engine installation on the aircraft after engine overhaul, 10 hours prior to this accident. Individual mechanic, A&P, performed engine installation. Log book entry noted engine ground run with no leaks. Subsequent engine inspection (100 hour) , 1 hour after engine installation, was performed and engine ground run done with no leaks noted. 9 hours after engine installation oil change performed and ground run performed, no leaks present per log book entry.
No fuel leaks were noted at post crash visual inspection of fuel line connection.
Actual torque of fuel line b-nut to fuel pump was not confirmed at the time of the post crash engine run, therefore it is still suspected, but unproven, that the b-nut torque was less than optimal at engine installation.
The pilot failed to extend the landing gear even though he was past the runwaythreshold and over the runway
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT LANDED GEAR UP AT TQH ON DECEMBER 23, 2015. AIRCRAFT HAD TAKEN OFF FROM TQH AT APPROXIMATELY 1520 PM . PILOT REPORTED AIRCRAFT LOST POWER ON TO AT APPROXIMATELY 2500-3000 FT AGL. PILOT ATTEMPTED TO EXECUTE A 180 DEGREE TURN AND LAND AT THE RUNWAY HE HAD JUST DEPARTED FROM. AT ONE POINT IN THE PILOT'S NARRATIVE HE STATED THE ENGINE QUIT AFTER TAKEOFF AND MOMENTARILY RESTARTED ON HIS ATTEMPT TO RETURN TO THE RUNWAY. .
PILOT STATED HE LEFT THE GEAR UP TO INCREASE HIS GLIDE DISTANCE IN ORDER TO MAKE IT BACK TO THE RUNWAY. NO ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO PUT THE GEAR DOWN FOR LANDING OR FLAPS DOWN.
AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN APPROXIMATELY 750-800 FEET FROM NORTH END OF RUNWAY 35(RNWY 17). AIRCRAFT SKIDDED ON THE BELLY FOR APPROXIMATELY 500 FT. THERE WAS NO FIRE. AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE BELLY AREA SKINS AND FUSELAGE FRAMES. NOSE GEAR DOORS SUSTAINED DAMAGE; ENGINE EXHAUST PIPES WERE GROUND OFF, ROUGHLY 2 INCHES. PROPELLER HAD ALL 3 BLADES CURLED BACK APPROXIMATELY 12 INCHES OF EACH TIP.
AIRCRAFT FUEL TANKS INDICATED FULL ON LEFT AND ROUGHLY 1/2 TANK ON RIGHT. FUEL SELECTOR WAS IN OFF POSITION AT THE TIME OF THIS INVESTIGATION. BOTH FUEL TANKS WERE SUMPED WITH NO INDICATION OF CONTAMINATION.
ENGINE CONTROLS WERE CHECKED FOR CONTINUITY; NO DISCREPANCIES NOTED.
NO OIL LEAKAGE NOTED .
PROP BLADE STRIKES ON RUNWAY INDICATE THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING AND DEVELOPING SOME POWER.
1/20/2016 - SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION FOUND ALL CYLINDERS HAVE PROPER COMPRESSION, CRANKSHAFT ROTATES THROUGH ALL PHASES OF COMBUSTION CYCLE, VALVES OPERATE PROPERLY WITH CRANKSHAFT ROTATION. CHECKED PROPELLER FOR PROPER OPERATION OF PITCH CHANGE AND FOUND SATISFACTORY.
AT THIS TIME NO DISCREPANCIES NOTED THAT INDICATE CAUSE OF PILOT REPORT OF "LOST POWER" .
2/24/2016 ENGINE WAS RUN . ENGINE RAN ROUGH AND CUT OUT UNTIL BOOST PUMP WAS TURNED ON AND THEN RUN SATISFACTORY. FOUND B-NUT ON FUEL INLET LINE TO FUEL PUMP NOT FULLY TIGHT. B- NUT WAS NOT LOOSE TO THE POINT OF LEAKING FUEL THOUGH.
TIGHTENED B-NUT AND ENGINE RUN SMOOTHLY.
IT IS SUSPECTED THIS CONDITION WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE ENGINE FUEL MIXTURE TO BE LEAN ENOUGH TO HAVE A LOWER THAN MAXIMUM POWER AND ENOUGH TO GIVE THE PILOT THE IMPRESSION HE HAD "LOST POWER".
IT IS SUSPECTED B-NUT WAS NOT FULLY TORQUED DURING THE ENGINE INSTALLATION ON THE AIRCRAFT AFTER ENGINE OVERHAUL, 10 HOURS PRIOR TO THIS ACCIDENT. INDIVIDUAL MECHANIC, A&P, PERFORMED ENGINE INSTALLATION. LOG BOOK ENTRY NOTED ENGINE GROUND RUN WITH NO LEAKS. SUBSEQUENT ENGINE INSPECTION (100 HOUR) , 1 HOUR AFTER ENGINE INSTALLATION, WAS PERFORMED AND ENGINE GROUND RUN DONE WITH NO LEAKS NOTED. 9 HOURS AFTER ENGINE INSTALLATION OIL CHANGE PERFORMED AND GROUND RUN PERFORMED, NO LEAKS PRESENT PER LOG BOOK ENTRY.
NO FUEL LEAKS WERE NOTED AT POST CRASH VISUAL INSPECTION OF FUEL LINE CONNECTION.
ACTUAL TORQUE OF FUEL LINE B-NUT TO FUEL PUMP WAS NOT CONFIRMED AT THE TIME OF THE POST CRASH ENGINE RUN, THEREFORE IT IS STILL SUSPECTED, BUT UNPROVEN, THAT THE B-NUT TORQUE WAS LESS THAN OPTIMAL AT ENGINE INSTALLATION.
THE PILOT FAILED TO EXTEND THE LANDING GEAR EVEN THOUGH HE WAS PAST THE RUNWAYTHRESHOLD AND OVER THE RUNWAY
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.