What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On April 28, 2021, at approximately 12:30 pm EDT Mooney model M20C, serial number 2195, N6448U departed Warwick Airport (N72), Warwick, NY. While on departure from runway 21, the aircraft lost engine power and crashed on the shoreline of wickham lake, approximately 3000 feet off the departure end of runway 21. The pilot of the aircraft suffered serious injuries and the aircraft sustained substantial damage.
On 5/3/21, inspectors from the teterboro FSDO traveled to Warwick Airport to interview the pilot. During the interview pilot stated, he performed a pre-flight inspection, completed engine ground runs, then taxied out to runway 21 for departure. He advanced the throttle to full and at 65 mph approximately two thirds down the runway he rotated, at that point he immediately noticed that the engine was not producing full power and attempted to push in more throttle. The pilot realized the throttle seemed as though it was not advancing completely. He then lowered the nose of the aircraft to attempt to stay in ground effect and gain some airspeed. Unfortunately, he did not have enough clearance before the trees on the opposite side of the lake. He picked a spot between the trees and reached down to turn the fuel selector off. At the last moment, before impact with the ground,the pilot pulled the aircraft into a full stall in a belly first attitude. That is the last thing he remember before waking up in the ambulance.
On 5/14/2021, inspectors from the teterboro FSDO returned to Warwick Airport to conduct a more detailed inspection of N6448U, the following was noted, a review of the aircraft airframe, engine and propeller logbooks showed the aircraft to have a current annual inspection with a current compliance list of applicable airworthiness directives. A review of the airman?s pilots certificate and medical was found to be current.
During the aircraft inspection when advancing the throttle to the full open position, push back was felt in the throttle lever and the cable would not open the carburetor lever to the full open position. Further review showed that when the throttle cable was fully engaged it would move the whole cable through the firewall and bulge. After disconnecting the cable from the carburetor, the cable was still underload until a loose stand- off clamp that connected the throttle cable to the firewall was repositioned. This allowed the throttle to function properly with full extension and retraction. In addition a visual inspection of the following was conducted: magnetos, ignition wires, spark plugs, cylinder compression (using thumb pressure), engine oil, oil filter, carburetor and engine wiring were all found to be in satisfactory condition. The aircraft mixture control, carburetor heat control both had continuity and opened and closed without any issues. This report will be amended if further information becomes available.
Activity id: EA25202101500
As the FAA filed it
ON APRIL 28, 2021, AT APPROXIMATELY 12:30 PM EDT MOONEY MODEL M20C, SERIAL NUMBER 2195, N6448U DEPARTED WARWICK AIRPORT (N72), WARWICK, NY. WHILE ON DEPARTURE FROM RUNWAY 21, THE AIRCRAFT LOST ENGINE POWER AND CRASHED ON THE SHORELINE OF WICKHAM LAKE, APPROXIMATELY 3000 FEET OFF THE DEPARTURE END OF RUNWAY 21. THE PILOT OF THE AIRCRAFT SUFFERED SERIOUS INJURIES AND THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.
ON 5/3/21, INSPECTORS FROM THE TETERBORO FSDO TRAVELED TO WARWICK AIRPORT TO INTERVIEW THE PILOT. DURING THE INTERVIEW PILOT STATED, HE PERFORMED A PRE-FLIGHT INSPECTION, COMPLETED ENGINE GROUND RUNS, THEN TAXIED OUT TO RUNWAY 21 FOR DEPARTURE. HE ADVANCED THE THROTTLE TO FULL AND AT 65 MPH APPROXIMATELY TWO THIRDS DOWN THE RUNWAY HE ROTATED, AT THAT POINT HE IMMEDIATELY NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE WAS NOT PRODUCING FULL POWER AND ATTEMPTED TO PUSH IN MORE THROTTLE. THE PILOT REALIZED THE THROTTLE SEEMED AS THOUGH IT WAS NOT ADVANCING COMPLETELY. HE THEN LOWERED THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT TO ATTEMPT TO STAY IN GROUND EFFECT AND GAIN SOME AIRSPEED. UNFORTUNATELY, HE DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH CLEARANCE BEFORE THE TREES ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE LAKE. HE PICKED A SPOT BETWEEN THE TREES AND REACHED DOWN TO TURN THE FUEL SELECTOR OFF. AT THE LAST MOMENT, BEFORE IMPACT WITH THE GROUND,THE PILOT PULLED THE AIRCRAFT INTO A FULL STALL IN A BELLY FIRST ATTITUDE. THAT IS THE LAST THING HE REMEMBER BEFORE WAKING UP IN THE AMBULANCE.
ON 5/14/2021, INSPECTORS FROM THE TETERBORO FSDO RETURNED TO WARWICK AIRPORT TO CONDUCT A MORE DETAILED INSPECTION OF N6448U, THE FOLLOWING WAS NOTED, A REVIEW OF THE AIRCRAFT AIRFRAME, ENGINE AND PROPELLER LOGBOOKS SHOWED THE AIRCRAFT TO HAVE A CURRENT ANNUAL INSPECTION WITH A CURRENT COMPLIANCE LIST OF APPLICABLE AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES. A REVIEW OF THE AIRMAN?S PILOTS CERTIFICATE AND MEDICAL WAS FOUND TO BE CURRENT.
DURING THE AIRCRAFT INSPECTION WHEN ADVANCING THE THROTTLE TO THE FULL OPEN POSITION, PUSH BACK WAS FELT IN THE THROTTLE LEVER AND THE CABLE WOULD NOT OPEN THE CARBURETOR LEVER TO THE FULL OPEN POSITION. FURTHER REVIEW SHOWED THAT WHEN THE THROTTLE CABLE WAS FULLY ENGAGED IT WOULD MOVE THE WHOLE CABLE THROUGH THE FIREWALL AND BULGE. AFTER DISCONNECTING THE CABLE FROM THE CARBURETOR, THE CABLE WAS STILL UNDERLOAD UNTIL A LOOSE STAND- OFF CLAMP THAT CONNECTED THE THROTTLE CABLE TO THE FIREWALL WAS REPOSITIONED. THIS ALLOWED THE THROTTLE TO FUNCTION PROPERLY WITH FULL EXTENSION AND RETRACTION. IN ADDITION A VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE FOLLOWING WAS CONDUCTED: MAGNETOS, IGNITION WIRES, SPARK PLUGS, CYLINDER COMPRESSION (USING THUMB PRESSURE), ENGINE OIL, OIL FILTER, CARBURETOR AND ENGINE WIRING WERE ALL FOUND TO BE IN SATISFACTORY CONDITION. THE AIRCRAFT MIXTURE CONTROL, CARBURETOR HEAT CONTROL BOTH HAD CONTINUITY AND OPENED AND CLOSED WITHOUT ANY ISSUES. THIS REPORT WILL BE AMENDED IF FURTHER INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE.
ACTIVITY ID: EA25202101500
Other reports on N6448U · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.