20201006019709A

THE PILOT OF AN AMATEUR BUILT VELOCITY DEPARTED GAINESVILLE (KGNV) AND STATED THERE WERE NO UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES. THE WEATHER WAS CLOUDY THEREFORE WOULD NOT CLEAR THE 7000 FEET AND REQUESTED A LOWER ALTITUDE AND DESCENDED TO 3000 FEET. AFTER LEVEL OFF, HE STATED THE ENGINE STARTED TO EXPERIENCE POWER LOSS WITH NO EVIDENCE OF LOUD BANGS OR UNUSUAL SOUNDS, JUST POWER/ENGINE LOSS. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE ENGINE AND VERIFIED FUEL, THROTTLE AND THE MIXTURE ALL CONFIRMED TO BE IN THE PROPER POSITION HOWEVER, ENGINE START WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. THE PILOT CONTACTED ORLANDO APPROACH FOR A NEARBY AIRPORT AS HE WAS LOSING ALTITUDE. THE TOWER DIRECTED THE AIRCRAFT VIA HEADING INTO LEESBURG AT 2000 FEET. THE PILOT REPORTED HE COULD NOT MAINTAIN THE REQUESTED ALTITUDE AND NOW WAS GOING TO MAKE AN OFF AIRPORT LANDING AND THIS INFORMATION WAS DELIVERED VIA ANOTHER AIRCRAFT BECAUSE, THEY COULD NOT HEAR THE VELOCITY AT THE LOWER ALTITUDE. ALL ATTEMPTS TO RESTART THE ENGINE WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. HE IDENTIFIED A FIELD THAT WAS BARON AND HAVING MINIMAL OBSTRUCTIONS THAT COULD CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT AND OR INJURY TO HIMSELF OR ON THE GROUND. UNFORTUNATELY, DURING THE LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT WAS EXPOSED TO A FENCE CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING. THE GEAR ALSO COLLAPSED CAUSING SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE UNDERCARRIAGE OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT SHUTDOWN ALL SOURCES TO THE ENGINE AND EXITED THE AIRCRAFT. HE WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL WITH A PUNCTURE WOUND TO HIS ARM WHEN HE WAS IMPALED BY A SECTION OF THE FENCE. NEITHER THE NTSB NOR THE FSDO RESPONDED TO THE SCENE AND PICTURES OBTAINED. THE AIRCRAFT TRANSPORTED TO JACKSONVILLE AIR RECOVERY WHERE FURTHER INSPECTION AND CHECKS WILL BE PERFORMED TO DETERMINE WHAT OR IF ANY ENGINE ISSUES EXIST THAT CAUSED THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRCRAFT RECENTLY INSPECTED BY VELOCITY AIRCRAFT, IN SEBASTIAN, FL HAS ONLY FLOWN APPROXIMATELY 2 HOURS THAT INVOLVED A PREVIOUS INCIDENT THAT OCCURRED IN JANUARY. MAINTENANCE LOGBOOK ENTRIES SHOW ALL AREAS WERE INSPECTED TO INCLUDE THE ENGINE, USING THE SCOPE OF PART 43 AS ADVISED WITH NO MAJOR FINDINGS. ANY FURTHER FINDINGS WILL AMEND THIS REPORT AT THE TIME OF THE INSPECTION SCHEDULED BY THE NTSB. IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE NTSB, FLORIDA AIR RECOVERY IN JACKSONVILLE AND THE FSDO IIC PERFORMED AN ENGINE TEARDOWN EVALUATION CONSISTENT WITH AN ACCIDENT INVOLVING A VELOCITY AIRCRAFT, N78BM THAT REPORTED ENGINE FAILURE AND LANDED OFFSITE IN A FIELD. THE ENGINE A 23-YEAR-OLD FRANKLIN WAS STATED TO HAVE SHUT DOWN WHILE IN CRUISE.

THE A&P/IA PERFORMING THE TASK DOCUMENTED THESE THINGS AND OR DISCREPANCIES IF ANY. MR. BARTLE WAS ABLE TO ROTATE THE PROPELLER AND CONFIRM CRANKSHAFT, CAMSHAFT AND VALVE TRAIN CONTINUITY TO THE REAR ACCESSORY SECTION OF THE ENGINE. HE THEN REMOVED THE COOLING DUCTS TO ACCESS SPARK PLUGS. THE TOP SPARK PLUGS WERE REMOVED, AND SOME CORROSION WAS NOTED ON THEM. THUMB COMPRESSION WAS ATTAINED ON ALL CYLINDERS.

ABOUT 6 OZ. OF FLUID WERE RECOVERED FROM THE FUEL PICKUP, CONSISTENT WITH WATER; HOWEVER, THE FUEL TANKS WERE BREACHED, AND THE AIRPLANE SAT OUTSIDE PRIOR TO THE EXAMINATION. ANOTHER APPROXIMATE 6 OZ. OF FLUID WERE RECOVERED FROM THE CARBURETOR. IT WAS LIGHT BLUE, CLEAR, AND CONSISTENT IN ODOR TO 100 LOW-LEAD AVIATION GASOLINE.

^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS ABLE TO ACTUATE THE CARBURETOR ACCELERATOR PUMP. HE THEN REMOVED AND DISASSEMBLED THE PRECISION CARBURETOR. THE CARBURETOR WAS CLEAN, INTACT, AND NO ANOMALIES WERE NOTED. THE AIR BOX AND ITS SCREEN WERE FREE OF OBSTRUCTIONS, AS WAS THE AIR INTAKE TO THE CARBURETOR. BOTH MAGNETOS PRODUCED SPARK AT ALL LEADS WHEN ROTATED BY HAND. BOTH MAGNETOS TIMED CORRECTLY. A BORESCOPE EXAMINATION OF THE CYLINDERS DID NOT REVEAL ANY ANOMALIES. ASSOCIATED ELECTRONIC MEASURING/TRACKING DEVICES WERE REMOVED WITH HOPES OF RETRIEVING FLIGHT AND ENGINE DATA.