20180522005749A

At approximately 7:39 pm on Tuesday evening may 22, 2018, there was an aircraft accident at the private Spruce Creek Airport (7FL6), in Daytona Beach, Florida. Aircraft wreckage was discovered in an empty lot between houses on taxi way echoapproximately 300 feet from the departure end of runway 06. The PIC was transported to a nearby hospital and placed into intensive care, listed in critical condition. The right seat pilot was found deceased at the scene. The aircraft involved, N89864, a 1946 Cessna 140, serial # 8909, was destroyed. The weather was VFR at the time.

The pilots were flying touch and goes on Spruce creeks runway 06 when the accident occurred as evidenced by witnesses and radio calls heard on "liveatc". Investigation indicates (photos & witnesses) that on the third pattern while climbing to approximately 200-300 feet on the upwind leg the engine sputtered approximately twice then quit completely. The pilot then attempted a steep banked turn back to the runway. Photos indicate the aircraft then likely stalled, descended nearly vertically, hit trees and impacted the ground at a high angle. There was no fire.

Eye witnesses and photos of the crash sequence seem to indicate the engine had quit running and the propeller was not turning at impact. Crash site investigation also revealed a lack of the usual chordwise striations and "s-type" bending normally present when a running engine/turning propeller make impact with the ground during a crash.

Initial investigation seemed to indicate that fuel contamination may have been an issue. Witnesses stated they thought the aircraft had been parked outside during recent heavy rains. Other witnesses and friends of the PIC remember seeing water in pre-flight fuel samples the PIC had taken before recent flights. One witness/pilot/friend of the PIC had flown with the PIC the morning of the accident and agreed that there may have been significant water in the fuel based on the fuel samples he saw the PIC take. This witness also reported he thought the PIC had only checked the wing tank sump drains and hadn't checked the fuel strainer drain (fuel system low point).

The CE-140 operation manual (POH) states "on first flight of the day, drain a small (one-ounce) quantity of fuel from fuel strainer drain to insure that no free water is in the fuel line." It is unclear as to whether the PIC checked the fuel strainer drain the day of the accident flight. Fuel samples were also taken from the vendor on the field where the aircraft had reportedly been refueled but there was no indication of water in the fuel. However, when the fuel tanks were drained during engine tear down only about two tablespoons of water were removed; according to engine experts, this may not have been enough to cause the engine to quit running.

The aircraft engine was inspected by a Textron engine technician with the NTSB in attendance. Fuel remaining in each wing tank was observed to be approximately 3.2 gallons (6.4 total on board). This may be noteworthy because there is a warning in the Cessna 140 operation manual (POH) that states "do not take off on less than 1/4 tank". The CE-140 aircraft fuel tanks hold a total of 25 gallons of fuel or 12.5 gallons in each wing. The 3.2 gallons remaining in each wing tank is therefore approximately 1/4 of total fuel therefore fuel levels were very close to the 1/4 tank minimum although not appreciable below.

Engine experts believe the fuel lines may have become "unported"/uncovered in flight and therefore may have starved the engine of fuel causing the engine failure.

The PIC was seriously injuried and suffered significant memory loss. To date the PIC doesn't remember any details of the accident or even purchasing the aircraft approximately two months earlier. If this situation changes, the PIC will be interviewed at that time.