What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On April 11, 2018, N5049P a 1958 Piper PA-24-180, about 1340 eastern local time with one pilot and one passenger on board made an emergency "gear up" crash landing in a dirt field just north of IN-44, Franklin Indiana. The weather at the time of crash was visual meteorological conditions , with mild winds.
The pilot stated at approximately nine minutes into his flight at a flight altitude of 2000 feet, the engine started sputtering and losing operational power. The pilot said he switched the fuel selector supply valve from the right wing to the left wing trying to gain engine operational power. The pilot stated the engine continued to sputter until seconds later shut down causing him to make a crash landing in a dirt field.
The aircraft traveled approximately 60 feet on its lower fuselage before coming to complete stop.
The pilot and one passenger experienced minor, non-life threatening injuries.
The aircraft sustained minor damage to the lower fuselage panels and all propeller blades and the left and right side engine access panels. No other noticeable damage to the airframe was noted.
FAA investigation revealed the aircraft engine carburetor threaded fuel supply line had backed off from the carburetor during flight causing a loss of operational power preceded by the engine shut down.
Inspection of the engine carburetor fuel supply line showed no sign of damages to the threads of the fuel supply line or the carburetor fuel inlet fitting.
Aircraft records showed the aircraft had a electronic international inc, CGR-30P glass panel engine monitor fuel system upgrade on April 19, 2018. This upgrade has instructions for the mechanic to disconnect and then re-install the carburetor fuel supply line at the completion of the upgrade.
Follow-up FAA investigation will be completed by ind/fsdo principal inspectors using the compliance philosophy process.
As the FAA filed it
ON APRIL 11, 2018, N5049P A 1958 PIPER PA-24-180, ABOUT 1340 EASTERN LOCAL TIME WITH ONE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER ON BOARD MADE AN EMERGENCY "GEAR UP" CRASH LANDING IN A DIRT FIELD JUST NORTH OF IN-44, FRANKLIN INDIANA. THE WEATHER AT THE TIME OF CRASH WAS VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS , WITH MILD WINDS.
THE PILOT STATED AT APPROXIMATELY NINE MINUTES INTO HIS FLIGHT AT A FLIGHT ALTITUDE OF 2000 FEET, THE ENGINE STARTED SPUTTERING AND LOSING OPERATIONAL POWER. THE PILOT SAID HE SWITCHED THE FUEL SELECTOR SUPPLY VALVE FROM THE RIGHT WING TO THE LEFT WING TRYING TO GAIN ENGINE OPERATIONAL POWER. THE PILOT STATED THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO SPUTTER UNTIL SECONDS LATER SHUT DOWN CAUSING HIM TO MAKE A CRASH LANDING IN A DIRT FIELD.
THE AIRCRAFT TRAVELED APPROXIMATELY 60 FEET ON ITS LOWER FUSELAGE BEFORE COMING TO COMPLETE STOP.
THE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER EXPERIENCED MINOR, NON-LIFE THREATENING INJURIES.
THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE TO THE LOWER FUSELAGE PANELS AND ALL PROPELLER BLADES AND THE LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE ENGINE ACCESS PANELS. NO OTHER NOTICEABLE DAMAGE TO THE AIRFRAME WAS NOTED.
FAA INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE CARBURETOR THREADED FUEL SUPPLY LINE HAD BACKED OFF FROM THE CARBURETOR DURING FLIGHT CAUSING A LOSS OF OPERATIONAL POWER PRECEDED BY THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN.
INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE CARBURETOR FUEL SUPPLY LINE SHOWED NO SIGN OF DAMAGES TO THE THREADS OF THE FUEL SUPPLY LINE OR THE CARBURETOR FUEL INLET FITTING.
AIRCRAFT RECORDS SHOWED THE AIRCRAFT HAD A ELECTRONIC INTERNATIONAL INC, CGR-30P GLASS PANEL ENGINE MONITOR FUEL SYSTEM UPGRADE ON APRIL 19, 2018. THIS UPGRADE HAS INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE MECHANIC TO DISCONNECT AND THEN RE-INSTALL THE CARBURETOR FUEL SUPPLY LINE AT THE COMPLETION OF THE UPGRADE.
FOLLOW-UP FAA INVESTIGATION WILL BE COMPLETED BY IND/FSDO PRINCIPAL INSPECTORS USING THE COMPLIANCE PHILOSOPHY PROCESS.
Other reports on N5049P · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.