What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot and three passengers were returning from fort worth Texas to Bulverde, Texas 1T8. The pilot in command occupied the forward right hand seat. The forward left hand seat was occupied by a certificated private pilot. The left rear seat passenger was occupied by a certified flight instructor. The new aircraft owner occupied the right hand rear seat.
The aircraft was flying over canyon lake approximately 16 miles north east of Bulverde 1T8 airport. The pilot in command had decided to allow the private pilot in the left seat to practice landings at altitude before proceeding to Bulverde. During the practice landings at altitude near canyon lake in comal county, the right hand seat pilot and passengers heard the engine begin to sputter and run rough. The left seat pilot immediately switched fuel tank selector from right to left tank. Engine continued to run rough. The right seat pilot felt it was running rich and indicated it was running hot. The right seat pilot stated the engine may have a magneto problem. The right seat pilot stated he performed a magneto test in the air and reported a drop of nearly 800 RPM on the left magneto. The right seat pilot then stated he retarded mixture to lean and clear possible fouled plugs. The right seat pilot stated that this seemed to work as the engine ran smooth for approximately 20 seconds. Once the right seat pilot increased power, the engine roughness restarted and the engine began to backfire.
The right seat pilot stated aircraft was at 3300 feet at approximately 110 knots. Right seat pilot elected to continue to Bulverde, Texas 1T8, not considering equally distance airport new braunfels, (kbaz) that has emergency and control tower operations as well as longer, wider and multiple (2) runway options.
The aircraft arrived at Bulverde Airport, 1T8, high and fast with partial power. Aircraft landed on runway 34 touching down approximately in the last one-third portion of runway. The right seat pilot elected to maneuver aircraft to left side with approximately three hundred feet of runway remaining in order to avoid hiting a fenceline and a road.
Aircraft sustained substantial damage to the lower bottom empenage, left and right main landing gear. Aircraft empenage vertical assembly has a slight offset to the left.
Upon further investigation engine showed no sign of malfunction, both magnetos checked good providing spark, propeller spun freely, electric fuel pump checked good. Right hand fuel gauge indicated one-half full with the battery master switch off. Once the battery/master switch was turned on, the right hand fuel gauge indicated full fuel. Approximately one-half cup of fuel was drained from the right hand fuel tank the left fuel tank was approximatley 90% full. There was no injuries to pilot and passengers. No post crash fire.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT AND THREE PASSENGERS WERE RETURNING FROM FORT WORTH TEXAS TO BULVERDE, TEXAS 1T8. THE PILOT IN COMMAND OCCUPIED THE FORWARD RIGHT HAND SEAT. THE FORWARD LEFT HAND SEAT WAS OCCUPIED BY A CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT. THE LEFT REAR SEAT PASSENGER WAS OCCUPIED BY A CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR. THE NEW AIRCRAFT OWNER OCCUPIED THE RIGHT HAND REAR SEAT.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLYING OVER CANYON LAKE APPROXIMATELY 16 MILES NORTH EAST OF BULVERDE 1T8 AIRPORT. THE PILOT IN COMMAND HAD DECIDED TO ALLOW THE PRIVATE PILOT IN THE LEFT SEAT TO PRACTICE LANDINGS AT ALTITUDE BEFORE PROCEEDING TO BULVERDE. DURING THE PRACTICE LANDINGS AT ALTITUDE NEAR CANYON LAKE IN COMAL COUNTY, THE RIGHT HAND SEAT PILOT AND PASSENGERS HEARD THE ENGINE BEGIN TO SPUTTER AND RUN ROUGH. THE LEFT SEAT PILOT IMMEDIATELY SWITCHED FUEL TANK SELECTOR FROM RIGHT TO LEFT TANK. ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN ROUGH. THE RIGHT SEAT PILOT FELT IT WAS RUNNING RICH AND INDICATED IT WAS RUNNING HOT. THE RIGHT SEAT PILOT STATED THE ENGINE MAY HAVE A MAGNETO PROBLEM. THE RIGHT SEAT PILOT STATED HE PERFORMED A MAGNETO TEST IN THE AIR AND REPORTED A DROP OF NEARLY 800 RPM ON THE LEFT MAGNETO. THE RIGHT SEAT PILOT THEN STATED HE RETARDED MIXTURE TO LEAN AND CLEAR POSSIBLE FOULED PLUGS. THE RIGHT SEAT PILOT STATED THAT THIS SEEMED TO WORK AS THE ENGINE RAN SMOOTH FOR APPROXIMATELY 20 SECONDS. ONCE THE RIGHT SEAT PILOT INCREASED POWER, THE ENGINE ROUGHNESS RESTARTED AND THE ENGINE BEGAN TO BACKFIRE.
THE RIGHT SEAT PILOT STATED AIRCRAFT WAS AT 3300 FEET AT APPROXIMATELY 110 KNOTS. RIGHT SEAT PILOT ELECTED TO CONTINUE TO BULVERDE, TEXAS 1T8, NOT CONSIDERING EQUALLY DISTANCE AIRPORT NEW BRAUNFELS, (KBAZ) THAT HAS EMERGENCY AND CONTROL TOWER OPERATIONS AS WELL AS LONGER, WIDER AND MULTIPLE (2) RUNWAY OPTIONS.
THE AIRCRAFT ARRIVED AT BULVERDE AIRPORT, 1T8, HIGH AND FAST WITH PARTIAL POWER. AIRCRAFT LANDED ON RUNWAY 34 TOUCHING DOWN APPROXIMATELY IN THE LAST ONE-THIRD PORTION OF RUNWAY. THE RIGHT SEAT PILOT ELECTED TO MANEUVER AIRCRAFT TO LEFT SIDE WITH APPROXIMATELY THREE HUNDRED FEET OF RUNWAY REMAINING IN ORDER TO AVOID HITING A FENCELINE AND A ROAD.
AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE LOWER BOTTOM EMPENAGE, LEFT AND RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR. AIRCRAFT EMPENAGE VERTICAL ASSEMBLY HAS A SLIGHT OFFSET TO THE LEFT.
UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION ENGINE SHOWED NO SIGN OF MALFUNCTION, BOTH MAGNETOS CHECKED GOOD PROVIDING SPARK, PROPELLER SPUN FREELY, ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP CHECKED GOOD. RIGHT HAND FUEL GAUGE INDICATED ONE-HALF FULL WITH THE BATTERY MASTER SWITCH OFF. ONCE THE BATTERY/MASTER SWITCH WAS TURNED ON, THE RIGHT HAND FUEL GAUGE INDICATED FULL FUEL. APPROXIMATELY ONE-HALF CUP OF FUEL WAS DRAINED FROM THE RIGHT HAND FUEL TANK THE LEFT FUEL TANK WAS APPROXIMATLEY 90% FULL.THERE WAS NO INJURIES TO PILOT AND PASSENGERS. NO POST CRASH FIRE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N3535X · 4
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.