What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft was being flown on cross country when pilot noted he was losing engine power. When he went to make throttle changes the engine didn?t respond. He noted that the manifold pressure was below 15 and neither the prop control nor throttle caused any change to the engine RPM. He determined he was unable to maintain altitude with the low mp & RPM, so determined he would need to land. He made decision to land on a dirt road that was within range. He descended to a dirt road and was able to make a successful landing with no damage to the aircraft.
Upon landing he was able to contact the local sheriff by cell phone. He then contacted a mechanic at eagle airport where he was flying to. The mechanic came to the site and looked the aircraft over.
Maintenance personnel determined that the throttle control lever arm on the fuel injection system had failed at the control cable attachment end of the arm. This lever was made of brass, and normally has a bushing on the cable attachment end. This arm had indications the bushing had worn the brass throttle arm end out thus causing the control cable attachment to slip off. Throttle cable input to the fuel controller was lost at this point.
Subsequent research by maintenance personnel determined there was a history of failures of this type of brass throttle arms. The fuel controller manufacturer had addressed a fix to this type of failure in a service bulletin (CSB08-03) in 2008. This bulletin calls for replacing the brass arm with a stainless steel equivalent.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT WAS BEING FLOWN ON CROSS COUNTRY WHEN PILOT NOTED HE WAS LOSING ENGINE POWER. WHEN HE WENT TO MAKE THROTTLE CHANGES THE ENGINE DIDN?T RESPOND. HE NOTED THAT THE MANIFOLD PRESSURE WAS BELOW 15 AND NEITHER THE PROP CONTROL NOR THROTTLE CAUSED ANY CHANGE TO THE ENGINE RPM. HE DETERMINED HE WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE WITH THE LOW MP & RPM, SO DETERMINED HE WOULD NEED TO LAND. HE MADE DECISION TO LAND ON A DIRT ROAD THAT WAS WITHIN RANGE. HE DESCENDED TO A DIRT ROAD AND WAS ABLE TO MAKE A SUCCESSFUL LANDING WITH NO DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT.
UPON LANDING HE WAS ABLE TO CONTACT THE LOCAL SHERIFF BY CELL PHONE. HE THEN CONTACTED A MECHANIC AT EAGLE AIRPORT WHERE HE WAS FLYING TO. THE MECHANIC CAME TO THE SITE AND LOOKED THE AIRCRAFT OVER.
MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL DETERMINED THAT THE THROTTLE CONTROL LEVER ARM ON THE FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM HAD FAILED AT THE CONTROL CABLE ATTACHMENT END OF THE ARM. THIS LEVER WAS MADE OF BRASS, AND NORMALLY HAS A BUSHING ON THE CABLE ATTACHMENT END. THIS ARM HAD INDICATIONS THE BUSHING HAD WORN THE BRASS THROTTLE ARM END OUT THUS CAUSING THE CONTROL CABLE ATTACHMENT TO SLIP OFF. THROTTLE CABLE INPUT TO THE FUEL CONTROLLER WAS LOST AT THIS POINT.
SUBSEQUENT RESEARCH BY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL DETERMINED THERE WAS A HISTORY OF FAILURES OF THIS TYPE OF BRASS THROTTLE ARMS. THE FUEL CONTROLLER MANUFACTURER HAD ADDRESSED A FIX TO THIS TYPE OF FAILURE IN A SERVICE BULLETIN (CSB08-03) IN 2008. THIS BULLETIN CALLS FOR REPLACING THE BRASS ARM WITH A STAINLESS STEEL EQUIVALENT.
Other reports on N4678F · 5
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.