# Accident 20160416006709A: Costruzioni Aeronautiche Tecna P2008, Burgaw, NC, April 16, 2016 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: April 16, 2016, 16:30 local time - Place: Burgaw, NC - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 34.5800° N, 77.9450° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.5800&lon=-77.9450&mi=10 - Aircraft: N588TA, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N588TA) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Costruzioni Aeronautiche Tecna P2008 (registry code 060007Q, https://openairdocs.org/model/costruzioni-aeronautiche-tecna-p2008) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Rotax 914 series (registry code 55575, https://openairdocs.org/engine/rotax-914-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: COSTRUZIONI AERONAUTICHE TECNA P2008 - Reported engine: ROTAX 914UL - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Sport pilot - Pilot flight hours: 365 total, 12 in this make and model, 5 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA16LA162](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA16LA162) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20160416006709A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE "TOOK OFF FROM HENDERSON FIELD KACZ IN WALLACE, N.C. AT ABOUT 1600 ON APRIL 16, 2016 FOR BRUNSWICK COUNTY JET CENTER KSUT IN OAK ISLAND, NC. IT WAS A PLEASURE TRIP. AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES OF BUMPY FLYING I DECIDED TO RETURN TO HENDERSON FIELD SO I TURNED AROUND AND HEADED BACK. THERE WERE NO NOTICABLE PROBLEMS UNTIL THE PFD AND MFD FLICKERD AND WENT BLANK. ALL OF THE ELECTRONICS INCLUDING THE RADIO AND TRANSPONDER WERE NOT FUNCTIONING. I CHECKED THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS AND NONE HAD POPPED. I HAD PLENTY OF FUEL AND TIME TO LOCATE THE AIRPORT SO I WASN'T WORRIED. SEVERAL MINUTES LATER THE ENGINE SPUTTERED AND THEN WENT TO FULL POWER AS IF I HAD ENGAGED THE TURBO AND THEN IT IMMEDIATELY QUIT. I HAD BEEN FLYING AT ABOUT HALF POWER AND I DON'T KNOW WHY IT SUDDENLY WENT TO FULL POWER. I WAS FLYING AT 1500 FEET ACCORDING TO THE ALTIMETER SO I DIDN'T HAVE MUCH TIME TO TRY TO START THE ENGINE AGAIN. I SAW A FARM FIELD OVER A STAND OF TREES AND A ROW OF TELEPHONE LINES. I MADE IT OVER BOTH AND LANDED IN A PLOWED CORN FIELD. IT WAS A GOOD SOFT FIELD LANDING UNTIL I HIT A DRAINAGE DITCH. THE PLANE FLIPPED OVER AND LANDED ON ITS TOP. SOME PEOPLE CAME AND PULLED ME OUT BY MY FEET ON THE PILOT SIDE. I WAS NOT HURT." UPON INSPECTION THE FOLLOWING WAS NOTED; THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE QUIT IN FLIGHT. OPEN FUEL DRAINS AND TANKS WERE HOLDING PRESSURE. FUEL THEN STARTED RUNNING OUT AT THE LEFT DAMAGE WING TIP. COULD NOT VERIFY FUEL IN THE RIGHT TANK. OPEN MAIN FUEL STRAINER AND FUEL WAS PRESENT THERE. REMOVED FUEL LINES AND VERIFIED WHAT APPEARED TO BE ENOUGH FUEL TO ASSUME THAT THE ENGINE DID NOT RUN OUT OF FUEL. REMOVED TWO ROCKER COVERS AND VERIFIED THAT OIL WAS PRESENT AND THE ROCKERS WERE OPERATING ON THESE TWO CYLINDERS. ENGINE APPEARS TO BE INTACT, NO APPARENT BROKEN CONNECTING RODS, NO BLOWN CYLINDERS, OR OTHER OBVIOUS DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE. TWO BROKEN PROPELLER BLADES APPEARED NOT TO BE ROTATING DURING IMPACT. THIRD BLADE HAD NO ROTATIONAL DAMAGE. ENGINE APPEARS TO BE RUNNABLE WITH NEW PROPELLER INSTALLED. FUEL SELECTOR APPEARED NOT TO BE IN THE RIGHT FULL POSITION; THERE WAS POSITIVE DETENTS FOR ALL POSITIONS AND OFF POSITION REQUIRED THE LOCK TO BE DEPRESSED. NOT SURE, WHAT POSITION THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS IN PRIOR TO THE CRASH. THERE APPEARS TO BE ENOUGH LOOSE EQUIPMENT IN THE CABIN THAT IT COULD HAVE BEEN KNOCKED OUT OF POSITION DURING THE CRASH. NEED TO RUN THE ENGINE. ON JUNE 28TH, ASI TIM HALEY TRAVELED TO ATLANTA AIR SALVAGE IN GRIFFIN, GA AND INSPECTED THE AIRCRAFT. THE NTSB WAS THERE ALONG WITH BOTH AIRFRAME AND ENGINE REPS. WE REMOVED THE VOLTAGE REGULATOR AND VERIFIED IT WAS OPERATING CORRECTLY. WE THEN PROCEEDED TO RUN THE AIRCRAFT. WE VERIFIED ALTERNATOR OPERATION AND THEN TURNED OFF THE REGULATOR TO SEE HOW LONG THE AIRCRAFT WOULD RUN ON BATTERY POWER. ALL ALTERNATOR-WARNING FUNCTIONS OPERATED CORRECTLY. THE AIRCRAFT RAN ABOUT 1 HOURS ON BATTERY POWER ALONE. WHILE RUNNING THE AIRCRAFT, WE REVIEWED THE PILOT CHECKLIST FOUND IN THE AIRCRAFT. IT WAS A HOMEMADE CHECKLIST AND APPEARED NOT TO MATCH THE CHECKLIST FOUND IN THE POH FOUND IN THE AIRCRAFT. THE CUSTOM CHECKLIST LACKED A LINE ITEM FOR TURNING THE ALTERNATOR ON AND VERIFIES THAT IT WAS ON. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB ERA16LA162](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA16LA162), Apr 16, 2016: Costruzioni Aeronautiche Tecna P2008 (N588TA), Burgaw, NC, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to activate the airplane’s alternator, which resulted in an eventual loss of electrical power to the engine’s fuel pumps, fuel starvation, and a total loss of engine power.… From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.