What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot departed N269PW, a Pipistrel Sinus LSA motor glider, from lawrence municipal airport (lwm) under visual flight rule (VFR) at approximately 19:00 LCL on July 3, 2019 toward the east coast (newburyport, MA). The pilot shut down the engine, feathered the propeller at approximately 3500 feet MSL, and began circling the aircraft looking for wave lift. The pilot stated that due to a lack of westerly wind, the pilot was unable to find wave lift and decided to return to lwm. As the pilot was passing through 2500 feet, the pilot attempted to restart the engine without the use of a checklist. The pilot stated that the engine started, but would not produce enough thrust for flight. The pilot noted that the fuel indication gauge indicated a high fuel flow than normal. The pilot thought he may have had contaminated fuel and tried switching fuel tanks without success. The pilot stated the he continued to troubleshoot the engine all the way to the ground before executing a forced landing.
The aircraft came to rest on an approximate 200 degree heading in a field approximately 1.5 nautical miles northeast of runway 23 @ lwm at approximately 19:30 LCL. The nose and main landing gear collapsed and bent aft. Approximately 2/3 of the propeller shattered away from the aircraft. The remaining 1/3 indicates that the propeller was in the feathered position. Pictures obtained from the Haverhill police department show the propeller pitch knob in the feather position. The aircraft recovery team stated that approximately eight gallons of gas was drained from the motor glider before removing the wings.
On July 12, 2019 inspectors from the boston flight standards district office performed basic engine teardown at the direction of the aaron mccarter, air safety investigator for the NTSB. The following tasks were performed: performed visual inspection of the engine overall condition, engine compression appeared normal, no discrepancies noted. Removed upper spark plug from each of the four cylinders, inspected each for fouling and overall condition with no defects noted. Removed number two cylinder valve cover, inspecting arm and pusher rods conditions. Visually verified rocker arms and push rod operation with no defects noted. Cycled throttle and choke levers through full range, cables operated normally and appeared synchronized and hit stops per normal operations. Removed both left hand and right hand carburetor assemblies, visually inspected float assemblies (floats compliant with SB-912-067-UL) fuel present in both carburetor float chambers on disassembly with no contamination found. No defects noted. Visually inspected carburetor diaphragm assemblies for cuts or defects, no defects noted. Performed general operation of overload clutch friction with no defects noted. Performed visual inspection of gasolator fuel filter with no defects noted.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT DEPARTED N269PW, A PIPISTREL SINUS LSA MOTOR GLIDER, FROM LAWRENCE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (LWM) UNDER VISUAL FLIGHT RULE (VFR) AT APPROXIMATELY 19:00 LCL ON JULY 3, 2019 TOWARD THE EAST COAST (NEWBURYPORT, MA). THE PILOT SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE, FEATHERED THE PROPELLER AT APPROXIMATELY 3500 FEET MSL, AND BEGAN CIRCLING THE AIRCRAFT LOOKING FOR WAVE LIFT. THE PILOT STATED THAT DUE TO A LACK OF WESTERLY WIND, THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO FIND WAVE LIFT AND DECIDED TO RETURN TO LWM. AS THE PILOT WAS PASSING THROUGH 2500 FEET, THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE ENGINE WITHOUT THE USE OF A CHECKLIST. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE ENGINE STARTED, BUT WOULD NOT PRODUCE ENOUGH THRUST FOR FLIGHT. THE PILOT NOTED THAT THE FUEL INDICATION GAUGE INDICATED A HIGH FUEL FLOW THAN NORMAL. THE PILOT THOUGHT HE MAY HAVE HAD CONTAMINATED FUEL AND TRIED SWITCHING FUEL TANKS WITHOUT SUCCESS. THE PILOT STATED THE HE CONTINUED TO TROUBLESHOOT THE ENGINE ALL THE WAY TO THE GROUND BEFORE EXECUTING A FORCED LANDING.
THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON AN APPROXIMATE 200 DEGREE HEADING IN A FIELD APPROXIMATELY 1.5 NAUTICAL MILES NORTHEAST OF RUNWAY 23 @ LWM AT APPROXIMATELY 19:30 LCL. THE NOSE AND MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED AND BENT AFT. APPROXIMATELY 2/3 OF THE PROPELLER SHATTERED AWAY FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE REMAINING 1/3 INDICATES THAT THE PROPELLER WAS IN THE FEATHERED POSITION. PICTURES OBTAINED FROM THE HAVERHILL POLICE DEPARTMENT SHOW THE PROPELLER PITCH KNOB IN THE FEATHER POSITION. THE AIRCRAFT RECOVERY TEAM STATED THAT APPROXIMATELY EIGHT GALLONS OF GAS WAS DRAINED FROM THE MOTOR GLIDER BEFORE REMOVING THE WINGS.
ON JULY 12, 2019 INSPECTORS FROM THE BOSTON FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE PERFORMED BASIC ENGINE TEARDOWN AT THE DIRECTION OF THE AARON MCCARTER, AIR SAFETY INVESTIGATOR FOR THE NTSB. THE FOLLOWING TASKS WERE PERFORMED: PERFORMED VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE OVERALL CONDITION, ENGINE COMPRESSION APPEARED NORMAL, NO DISCREPANCIES NOTED. REMOVED UPPER SPARK PLUG FROM EACH OF THE FOUR CYLINDERS, INSPECTED EACH FOR FOULING AND OVERALL CONDITION WITH NO DEFECTS NOTED. REMOVED NUMBER TWO CYLINDER VALVE COVER, INSPECTING ARM AND PUSHER RODS CONDITIONS. VISUALLY VERIFIED ROCKER ARMS AND PUSH ROD OPERATION WITH NO DEFECTS NOTED. CYCLED THROTTLE AND CHOKE LEVERS THROUGH FULL RANGE, CABLES OPERATED NORMALLY AND APPEARED SYNCHRONIZED AND HIT STOPS PER NORMAL OPERATIONS. REMOVED BOTH LEFT HAND AND RIGHT HAND CARBURETOR ASSEMBLIES, VISUALLY INSPECTED FLOAT ASSEMBLIES (FLOATS COMPLIANT WITH SB-912-067-UL) FUEL PRESENT IN BOTH CARBURETOR FLOAT CHAMBERS ON DISASSEMBLY WITH NO CONTAMINATION FOUND. NO DEFECTS NOTED. VISUALLY INSPECTED CARBURETOR DIAPHRAGM ASSEMBLIES FOR CUTS OR DEFECTS, NO DEFECTS NOTED. PERFORMED GENERAL OPERATION OF OVERLOAD CLUTCH FRICTION WITH NO DEFECTS NOTED. PERFORMED VISUAL INSPECTION OF GASOLATOR FUEL FILTER WITH NO DEFECTS NOTED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.