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20170708009019A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Beech C23 · Bartow, FL · July 8, 2017

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 8, 2017 · 07:55 local
Place
Bartow, FL
Airport
Bartow Municipal
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N6682U
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA17LA237
Reported as
Beech C23
Reported engine
Lycoming O-360-A4K
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
2,652 total400 in this make and model15 in the last 90 days
N6682URegistration cancelled Jul 3, 2019 · Beech C23S/N M-2389 · Built 1983Airframe modelBeech C23Engine modelLycoming O&VO-360 seriesReciprocating

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 acft reportedly lost power during takeoff from rwy 9L and landed hard off the end of the rwy.

The PIC reported that the engine lost power at 200 to 300 ft, and he reacted by switching fuel tanks. The engine "surged momentarily then quit again". The acft subsequently hit hard off the end of the rwy at touchdown and collapsed the nose and rt main ldg gear. The rt wing sustained structural damage. The PIC noted that he had 20 gallons of fuel in each tank when he began the flt.

The PIC sustained minor injuries and his pax was not injured. The PIC noted that his seat belt had failed during the ldg impact allowing him to impact the instrument panel.

Examination of the acft at the site by first responders reportedly revealed that the rt fuel tank was partially full of fuel. The left tank had been punctured during the ldg impact allowing the contents to drain out immediately after the mishap.

The acft engine was inspected after the acft was removed from the site and secured in a t-hangar. Damage to the prop and engine precluded any attempt the run the engine. Manual rotation of the crankshaft revealed that the valve train had continuity and proper timing. Each cylinder produced compression (as determined by using the "thumb test" after removal of a spark plug).

The magneto equipped with an impulse coupling produced spark at each of the four cylinders near the top of the compression stroke for that cylinder. All of the spark plugs electrodes and insulators were observed to be free from any significant deposits, and the light deposits that were present were a light grey or tan color.

Exam of the fuel system revealed that the gascolator drain fitting had been broken off during the accident. Fuel drained in a steady flow from the gascolator when the fuel selector was set to the rt tank. Removal of the gascolator filter revealed that it was mostly clean and unobstructed.

Removal of the filter screen from the carburetor revealed that it was also clean and unobstructed. Approx 3 to 4 oz of fuel with the odor and appearance of 100LL was drained from the carb bowl.

Both the induction and exhaust systems for the engine were observed to be free from any obstruction or blockage other than crush damage caused by the accident.

Exam of the pic's seat belt and shoulder harness revealed no evidence of damage or failure.

The lack of damage found during exam of the pic's seat belt assy suggests that the buckle latch may not have been fully engaged at the time of the accident allowing it to become unbuckled when deceleration forces were experienced by the PIC.

As the FAA filed it

THE ACFT REPORTEDLY LOST POWER DURING TAKEOFF FROM RWY 9L AND LANDED HARD OFF THE END OF THE RWY.

THE PIC REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE LOST POWER AT 200 TO 300 FT, AND HE REACTED BY SWITCHING FUEL TANKS. THE ENGINE "SURGED MOMENTARILY THEN QUIT AGAIN". THE ACFT SUBSEQUENTLY HIT HARD OFF THE END OF THE RWY AT TOUCHDOWN AND COLLAPSED THE NOSE AND RT MAIN LDG GEAR. THE RT WING SUSTAINED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. THE PIC NOTED THAT HE HAD 20 GALLONS OF FUEL IN EACH TANK WHEN HE BEGAN THE FLT.

THE PIC SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES AND HIS PAX WAS NOT INJURED. THE PIC NOTED THAT HIS SEAT BELT HAD FAILED DURING THE LDG IMPACT ALLOWING HIM TO IMPACT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL.

EXAMINATION OF THE ACFT AT THE SITE BY FIRST RESPONDERS REPORTEDLY REVEALED THAT THE RT FUEL TANK WAS PARTIALLY FULL OF FUEL. THE LEFT TANK HAD BEEN PUNCTURED DURING THE LDG IMPACT ALLOWING THE CONTENTS TO DRAIN OUT IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE MISHAP.

THE ACFT ENGINE WAS INSPECTED AFTER THE ACFT WAS REMOVED FROM THE SITE AND SECURED IN A T-HANGAR. DAMAGE TO THE PROP AND ENGINE PRECLUDED ANY ATTEMPT THE RUN THE ENGINE. MANUAL ROTATION OF THE CRANKSHAFT REVEALED THAT THE VALVE TRAIN HAD CONTINUITY AND PROPER TIMING. EACH CYLINDER PRODUCED COMPRESSION (AS DETERMINED BY USING THE "THUMB TEST" AFTER REMOVAL OF A SPARK PLUG).

THE MAGNETO EQUIPPED WITH AN IMPULSE COUPLING PRODUCED SPARK AT EACH OF THE FOUR CYLINDERS NEAR THE TOP OF THE COMPRESSION STROKE FOR THAT CYLINDER. ALL OF THE SPARK PLUGS ELECTRODES AND INSULATORS WERE OBSERVED TO BE FREE FROM ANY SIGNIFICANT DEPOSITS, AND THE LIGHT DEPOSITS THAT WERE PRESENT WERE A LIGHT GREY OR TAN COLOR.

EXAM OF THE FUEL SYSTEM REVEALED THAT THE GASCOLATOR DRAIN FITTING HAD BEEN BROKEN OFF DURING THE ACCIDENT. FUEL DRAINED IN A STEADY FLOW FROM THE GASCOLATOR WHEN THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS SET TO THE RT TANK. REMOVAL OF THE GASCOLATOR FILTER REVEALED THAT IT WAS MOSTLY CLEAN AND UNOBSTRUCTED.

REMOVAL OF THE FILTER SCREEN FROM THE CARBURETOR REVEALED THAT IT WAS ALSO CLEAN AND UNOBSTRUCTED. APPROX 3 TO 4 OZ OF FUEL WITH THE ODOR AND APPEARANCE OF 100LL WAS DRAINED FROM THE CARB BOWL.

BOTH THE INDUCTION AND EXHAUST SYSTEMS FOR THE ENGINE WERE OBSERVED TO BE FREE FROM ANY OBSTRUCTION OR BLOCKAGE OTHER THAN CRUSH DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE ACCIDENT.

EXAM OF THE PIC'S SEAT BELT AND SHOULDER HARNESS REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF DAMAGE OR FAILURE.

THE LACK OF DAMAGE FOUND DURING EXAM OF THE PIC'S SEAT BELT ASSY SUGGESTS THAT THE BUCKLE LATCH MAY NOT HAVE BEEN FULLY ENGAGED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT ALLOWING IT TO BECOME UNBUCKLED WHEN DECELERATION FORCES WERE EXPERIENCED BY THE PIC.

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 ERA17LA237Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportBartow, FLA total loss of engine power during initial climb for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.Jul 8, 2017 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N6682U · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19861018067789ILevel Off Touchdown · Little Rock, ARPilot bounced aircraft three times causing failure of nose wheel and propeller damage. Recheck pending.Oct 18, 1986 · Minor damage