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20210721011319A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Richard S Carpenter STOL CH 750 · Rockwell, NC · July 21, 2021

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 21, 2021 · 07:44 local
Place
Rockwell, NC
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N750RS
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA21LA298
Reported as
Richard S Carpenter Stol CH 750
Reported engine
Continental O-200A
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
706 total7 in this make and model7 in the last 90 days
N750RSRegistration cancelled Jan 14, 2023 · Richard S Carpenter STOL CH 750S/N 75-8221 · Built 2011Airframe modelRichard S Carpenter STOL CH 750Engine modelContinental O-200A4 cycle

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Pilot stated he was enroute to mid carolina regional airport (ruq) from a privately owned grass strip in concord, NC. Approximately 40 minutes into the flight, the engine ?burped? And shortly after began to run rough. The fuel selector was rotated from the left tank to both with no change in engine operation. Carburetor heat was not applied. The engine quit 2 to 3 minutes after the initial trouble began. An engine restart was unsuccessful. The pilot made a hard landing in an open field, where the nose wheel separated from the gear, and the aircraft flipped over coming to rest upside down.

Prior to flight, the pilot added 8 gallons of automotive fuel from gas cans that had been sitting for about six months. 14 gallons of avgas were already present in the aircraft fuel tanks. Auto fuel and avgas are approved to be used in this engine.

Post-accident continuity of controls was verified to the throttle, mixture and carb heat. The fuel had been drained from the aircraft and wings removed but was present at the gascolator fuel drain. The fuel did not have a smell consistent with fresh auto fuel, possibly due to its age or being mixed with the avgas.

2 Weeks post-accident the engine was successfully run-up using avgas under NTSB guidance.

Sas activity #: EA68202102931

As the FAA filed it

PILOT STATED HE WAS ENROUTE TO MID CAROLINA REGIONAL AIRPORT (RUQ) FROM A PRIVATELY OWNED GRASS STRIP IN CONCORD, NC. APPROXIMATELY 40 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT, THE ENGINE ?BURPED? AND SHORTLY AFTER BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH. THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS ROTATED FROM THE LEFT TANK TO BOTH WITH NO CHANGE IN ENGINE OPERATION. CARBURETOR HEAT WAS NOT APPLIED. THE ENGINE QUIT 2 TO 3 MINUTES AFTER THE INITIAL TROUBLE BEGAN. AN ENGINE RESTART WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. THE PILOT MADE A HARD LANDING IN AN OPEN FIELD, WHERE THE NOSE WHEEL SEPARATED FROM THE GEAR, AND THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED OVER COMING TO REST UPSIDE DOWN.

PRIOR TO FLIGHT, THE PILOT ADDED 8 GALLONS OF AUTOMOTIVE FUEL FROM GAS CANS THAT HAD BEEN SITTING FOR ABOUT SIX MONTHS. 14 GALLONS OF AVGAS WERE ALREADY PRESENT IN THE AIRCRAFT FUEL TANKS. AUTO FUEL AND AVGAS ARE APPROVED TO BE USED IN THIS ENGINE.

POST-ACCIDENT CONTINUITY OF CONTROLS WAS VERIFIED TO THE THROTTLE, MIXTURE AND CARB HEAT. THE FUEL HAD BEEN DRAINED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND WINGS REMOVED BUT WAS PRESENT AT THE GASCOLATOR FUEL DRAIN. THE FUEL DID NOT HAVE A SMELL CONSISTENT WITH FRESH AUTO FUEL, POSSIBLY DUE TO ITS AGE OR BEING MIXED WITH THE AVGAS.

2 WEEKS POST-ACCIDENT THE ENGINE WAS SUCCESSFULLY RUN-UP USING AVGAS UNDER NTSB GUIDANCE.

SAS ACTIVITY #: EA68202102931

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ERA21LA298Accident · No injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportRockwell, NCThe total loss of engine power due to carburetor ice. Also causal was the pilot’s failure to apply carburetor heat at any time during the flight.Jul 21, 2021 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N750RS · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 20200826013769ILanding: Touchdown · Hendersonville, NCPilot stated that he misjudged his altitude during landing and flared too soon. The aircraft landed hard on the nose gear. It was the pilot's first flight in the aircraft after purchasing it earlier in the day. Damage to the aircraft was not considered to be…Aug 26, 2020 · Minor damage