What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
At Easton airport (esn), Easton, MD, on 6/24/2021 at approximately 1109 local time, a student pilot while on his first solo experienced an engine failure. After a successful one time around the pattern the student made a touch and go landing and takeoff for his second time around. As he was climbing out on his second takeoff he experienced an engine failure during his climb out at approximately 500 to 700 feet. The student pilot made an emergency, engine out, off field landing. The crash landing was in a small business park which was on the downwind for the runway in use at the time runway 4. Unfortunately he landed on some steel that had been laid out on the ground for a building that was being erected in the park. The aircraft touched down hard right wing low and subsequently caught on fire. The pilot was able to extricate himself from the wreckage and then immediately was pulled even further from wreckage by a couple of construction workers who were near by erecting steel on the nearby building. The airplane was destroyed by the post crash fire.
On September 29, 2021 an engine tear down and airframe examination was performed at anglin aircraft recovery in clayton, DE. Accident investigators from the NTSB, Piper aircraft, Lycoming and the FAA conducted the examinations. After examining the engine the investigator for Lycoming found nothing that would have prevented the engine from developing power. The airframe investigator from Piper also found nothing that would have prevented the airplane from being operated normally, however the fuel selector valve was found to be in a position between the left and right tank position. Although not conclusive. If the aircraft were operated with the fuel selector in this position it likely would have caused a reduction in fuel flow or possible starvation of fuel to the engine. It would be difficult to determine if the fuel selector was placed in that position during the flight or whether the force of the impact moved the fuel selector to that position.
This office has completed its investigation and considers this matter closed.
The NTSB final investigation report will likely be completed within a year.
Kesn 241445Z 07005KT 10SM clr 24/10 A3040
As the FAA filed it
AT EASTON AIRPORT (ESN), EASTON, MD, ON 6/24/2021 AT APPROXIMATELY 1109 LOCAL TIME, A STUDENT PILOT WHILE ON HIS FIRST SOLO EXPERIENCED AN ENGINE FAILURE. AFTER A SUCCESSFUL ONE TIME AROUND THE PATTERN THE STUDENT MADE A TOUCH AND GO LANDING AND TAKEOFF FOR HIS SECOND TIME AROUND. AS HE WAS CLIMBING OUT ON HIS SECOND TAKEOFF HE EXPERIENCED AN ENGINE FAILURE DURING HIS CLIMB OUT AT APPROXIMATELY 500 TO 700 FEET. THE STUDENT PILOT MADE AN EMERGENCY, ENGINE OUT, OFF FIELD LANDING. THE CRASH LANDING WAS IN A SMALL BUSINESS PARK WHICH WAS ON THE DOWNWIND FOR THE RUNWAY IN USE AT THE TIME RUNWAY 4. UNFORTUNATELY HE LANDED ON SOME STEEL THAT HAD BEEN LAID OUT ON THE GROUND FOR A BUILDING THAT WAS BEING ERECTED IN THE PARK. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN HARD RIGHT WING LOW AND SUBSEQUENTLY CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO EXTRICATE HIMSELF FROM THE WRECKAGE AND THEN IMMEDIATELY WAS PULLED EVEN FURTHER FROM WRECKAGE BY A COUPLE OF CONSTRUCTION WORKERS WHO WERE NEAR BY ERECTING STEEL ON THE NEARBY BUILDING. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED BY THE POST CRASH FIRE.
ON SEPTEMBER 29, 2021 AN ENGINE TEAR DOWN AND AIRFRAME EXAMINATION WAS PERFORMED AT ANGLIN AIRCRAFT RECOVERY IN CLAYTON, DE. ACCIDENT INVESTIGATORS FROM THE NTSB, PIPER AIRCRAFT, LYCOMING AND THE FAA CONDUCTED THE EXAMINATIONS. AFTER EXAMINING THE ENGINE THE INVESTIGATOR FOR LYCOMING FOUND NOTHING THAT WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THE ENGINE FROM DEVELOPING POWER. THE AIRFRAME INVESTIGATOR FROM PIPER ALSO FOUND NOTHING THAT WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THE AIRPLANE FROM BEING OPERATED NORMALLY, HOWEVER THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE WAS FOUND TO BE IN A POSITION BETWEEN THE LEFT AND RIGHT TANK POSITION. ALTHOUGH NOT CONCLUSIVE. IF THE AIRCRAFT WERE OPERATED WITH THE FUEL SELECTOR IN THIS POSITION IT LIKELY WOULD HAVE CAUSED A REDUCTION IN FUEL FLOW OR POSSIBLE STARVATION OF FUEL TO THE ENGINE. IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE IF THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS PLACED IN THAT POSITION DURING THE FLIGHT OR WHETHER THE FORCE OF THE IMPACT MOVED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO THAT POSITION.
THIS OFFICE HAS COMPLETED ITS INVESTIGATION AND CONSIDERS THIS MATTER CLOSED.
THE NTSB FINAL INVESTIGATION REPORT WILL LIKELY BE COMPLETED WITHIN A YEAR.
KESN 241445Z 07005KT 10SM CLR 24/10 A3040
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 N2143G · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.