What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On may 2, 2018, at approximately 1410 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-32-300, N4153R, impacted trees and terrain shortly after takeoff on rwy 24 at the Greenwood Lake Airport (4N1) West Milford, new jersey. The private pilot was fatally injured. A witness located one-mile north of the airport heard the airplane take off and then heard the airplane?s engine sputter then shut off. He then heard the sound of a crash and called 911. A flight instructor located at 4N1, and friend of the pilot stated that he was talking to the pilot just before the crash. He stated the pilot told him he was having problems with his engine, and thought it was either the magnetos or the spark plugs. The pilot stated he was going to go down to the end of the runway and perform an engine run-up. If the engine run-up was successful, then he was going to take a short flight to mgj (orange county, NY) and back.
On may 06, 2018, a Lycoming air safety investigator and the national transportation safety inspector in charge (NTSB iic) conducted an inspection on the aircraft engine. They inspected inlet fuel line to the fuel injector from the fuel pump, and found it to be finger tight. The NTSB iic retained the fuel servo and the fuel pump for flow testing at a date to be determined.
The left magneto was removed and tested by hand rotation of the impulse coupling. The magneto furnished spark at all outlet points. The timing was verified at 17 degrees before top center. The right magneto was not tested by hand rotation because it was damaged by the fire. The right magneto to ignition timing was visually verified at 15 degrees before top center.
The spark plugs (all 12 plugs) were removed and inspected. They appear to be in new condition. The ignition harness was not inspected because it was damage by the fire.
The fuel line and pump were sent to cj aviation, crs # YPGR715L in kendall, FL for testing. They observed very little to no contamination in the line and pump. What they found is the fuel hose that was attached to the pump appears to be a non-aviation hydraulic hose. This office will request the hose from the NTSB for inspection to determine if an incorrect part was installed on the aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
ON MAY 2, 2018, AT APPROXIMATELY 1410 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-32-300, N4153R, IMPACTED TREES AND TERRAIN SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF ON RWY 24 AT THE GREENWOOD LAKE AIRPORT (4N1) WEST MILFORD, NEW JERSEY. THE PRIVATE PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. A WITNESS LOCATED ONE-MILE NORTH OF THE AIRPORT HEARD THE AIRPLANE TAKE OFF AND THEN HEARD THE AIRPLANE?S ENGINE SPUTTER THEN SHUT OFF. HE THEN HEARD THE SOUND OF A CRASH AND CALLED 911. A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR LOCATED AT 4N1, AND FRIEND OF THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS TALKING TO THE PILOT JUST BEFORE THE CRASH. HE STATED THE PILOT TOLD HIM HE WAS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH HIS ENGINE, AND THOUGHT IT WAS EITHER THE MAGNETOS OR THE SPARK PLUGS. THE PILOT STATED HE WAS GOING TO GO DOWN TO THE END OF THE RUNWAY AND PERFORM AN ENGINE RUN-UP. IF THE ENGINE RUN-UP WAS SUCCESSFUL, THEN HE WAS GOING TO TAKE A SHORT FLIGHT TO MGJ (ORANGE COUNTY, NY) AND BACK.
ON MAY 06, 2018, A LYCOMING AIR SAFETY INVESTIGATOR AND THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY INSPECTOR IN CHARGE (NTSB IIC) CONDUCTED AN INSPECTION ON THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE. THEY INSPECTED INLET FUEL LINE TO THE FUEL INJECTOR FROM THE FUEL PUMP, AND FOUND IT TO BE FINGER TIGHT. THE NTSB IIC RETAINED THE FUEL SERVO AND THE FUEL PUMP FOR FLOW TESTING AT A DATE TO BE DETERMINED.
THE LEFT MAGNETO WAS REMOVED AND TESTED BY HAND ROTATION OF THE IMPULSE COUPLING. THE MAGNETO FURNISHED SPARK AT ALL OUTLET POINTS. THE TIMING WAS VERIFIED AT 17 DEGREES BEFORE TOP CENTER. THE RIGHT MAGNETO WAS NOT TESTED BY HAND ROTATION BECAUSE IT WAS DAMAGED BY THE FIRE. THE RIGHT MAGNETO TO IGNITION TIMING WAS VISUALLY VERIFIED AT 15 DEGREES BEFORE TOP CENTER.
THE SPARK PLUGS (ALL 12 PLUGS) WERE REMOVED AND INSPECTED. THEY APPEAR TO BE IN NEW CONDITION. THE IGNITION HARNESS WAS NOT INSPECTED BECAUSE IT WAS DAMAGE BY THE FIRE.
THE FUEL LINE AND PUMP WERE SENT TO CJ AVIATION, CRS # YPGR715L IN KENDALL, FL FOR TESTING. THEY OBSERVED VERY LITTLE TO NO CONTAMINATION IN THE LINE AND PUMP. WHAT THEY FOUND IS THE FUEL HOSE THAT WAS ATTACHED TO THE PUMP APPEARS TO BE A NON-AVIATION HYDRAULIC HOSE. THIS OFFICE WILL REQUEST THE HOSE FROM THE NTSB FOR INSPECTION TO DETERMINE IF AN INCORRECT PART WAS INSTALLED ON THE AIRCRAFT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.