What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 14, 2020 12:15 CDT N9891B a Champion 7EC lost power to the engine, and landed in a field near Port O'Conner, TX. The aircraft main landing collapsed and the engine was partially torn from the engine mount. The broken carburator began leaking fuel which caught fire consuming the engine accessories and firewall forward. The pilot and one passenger reported no injuries. The aircraft was on a 14 CFR part 91 VFR flight and originated from owners private strip.
Pilot statement:
Pilot provided the following written statement (verbatim); we took off from our private strip in the long mott area and flew for about 20 minutes to the county airport (kpkv) for fuel. After refueling, we took off and flew over tanner airport, then turned and flew parallel to the coast for about 15 minutes. We were out over the bay at about 500 ft when the engine suddenly lost power. I then turned toward shore and set up for best glide. I made it back over land at about 100 ft AGL and was looking for a road but could not locate one. I then landed straight ahead at a full stall in the brush. After climbing out of the airplane, we noticed white smoke coming from the engine compartment. After a minute, it turned to a black smoke so I returned inside the aircraft and turned the fuel valve and master switch off. I then called on my cell phone for someone to come pick us up and we started walking towards the bay. A game warden was first on the seen after about 30 minutes and we could see smoke for about 1 hour after landing until it burned itself out. We returned two days later to recover the aircraft and it is stored at the private strip were we originally took off.
Post-incident:
N9891B was trailered to the owners private strip where a certificated airframe and power plant mechanic conducted a partial engine tear down for the NTSB and FAA.
Removal of the # three cyclinder, identified the # three exhaust valve stuck in the open position in the valve guide.
The engine logbook reflected engine total time 2378 hrs. And 378 hrs. Since major overhaul in November 1989.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 14, 2020 12:15 CDT N9891B A CHAMPION 7EC LOST POWER TO THE ENGINE, AND LANDED IN A FIELD NEAR PORT O'CONNER, TX. THE AIRCRAFT MAIN LANDING COLLAPSED AND THE ENGINE WAS PARTIALLY TORN FROM THE ENGINE MOUNT. THE BROKEN CARBURATOR BEGAN LEAKING FUEL WHICH CAUGHT FIRE CONSUMING THE ENGINE ACCESSORIES AND FIREWALL FORWARD. THE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER REPORTED NO INJURIES. THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON A 14 CFR PART 91 VFR FLIGHT AND ORIGINATED FROM OWNERS PRIVATE STRIP.
PILOT STATEMENT:
PILOT PROVIDED THE FOLLOWING WRITTEN STATEMENT (VERBATIM); WE TOOK OFF FROM OUR PRIVATE STRIP IN THE LONG MOTT AREA AND FLEW FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES TO THE COUNTY AIRPORT (KPKV) FOR FUEL. AFTER REFUELING, WE TOOK OFF AND FLEW OVER TANNER AIRPORT, THEN TURNED AND FLEW PARALLEL TO THE COAST FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES. WE WERE OUT OVER THE BAY AT ABOUT 500 FT WHEN THE ENGINE SUDDENLY LOST POWER. I THEN TURNED TOWARD SHORE AND SET UP FOR BEST GLIDE. I MADE IT BACK OVER LAND AT ABOUT 100 FT AGL AND WAS LOOKING FOR A ROAD BUT COULD NOT LOCATE ONE. I THEN LANDED STRAIGHT AHEAD AT A FULL STALL IN THE BRUSH. AFTER CLIMBING OUT OF THE AIRPLANE, WE NOTICED WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. AFTER A MINUTE, IT TURNED TO A BLACK SMOKE SO I RETURNED INSIDE THE AIRCRAFT AND TURNED THE FUEL VALVE AND MASTER SWITCH OFF. I THEN CALLED ON MY CELL PHONE FOR SOMEONE TO COME PICK US UP AND WE STARTED WALKING TOWARDS THE BAY. A GAME WARDEN WAS FIRST ON THE SEEN AFTER ABOUT 30 MINUTES AND WE COULD SEE SMOKE FOR ABOUT 1 HOUR AFTER LANDING UNTIL IT BURNED ITSELF OUT. WE RETURNED TWO DAYS LATER TO RECOVER THE AIRCRAFT AND IT IS STORED AT THE PRIVATE STRIP WERE WE ORIGINALLY TOOK OFF.
POST-INCIDENT:
N9891B WAS TRAILERED TO THE OWNERS PRIVATE STRIP WHERE A CERTIFICATED AIRFRAME AND POWER PLANT MECHANIC CONDUCTED A PARTIAL ENGINE TEAR DOWN FOR THE NTSB AND FAA.
REMOVAL OF THE # THREE CYCLINDER, IDENTIFIED THE # THREE EXHAUST VALVE STUCK IN THE OPEN POSITION IN THE VALVE GUIDE.
THE ENGINE LOGBOOK REFLECTED ENGINE TOTAL TIME 2378 HRS. AND 378 HRS. SINCE MAJOR OVERHAUL IN NOVEMBER 1989.
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 N9891B · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.