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20211107019119A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Maule M-4-220C · Ridgeway, VA · November 7, 2021

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
November 7, 2021 · 10:00 local
Place
Ridgeway, VA
Airport
Pace Airport
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N51127
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA22LA052
Reported as
Maule M-4-220C
Reported engine
Franklin 6V 350 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
3,810 total261 in this make and model9 in the last 90 days
N51127Registered now · Maule M-4-220CS/N 2188C · Built 1973Airframe modelMaule M-4-220CEngine modelFranklin 6V 350 seriesReciprocating

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.

N11527, Maule M-4-220C, was reported being involved in an accident on November 7, 2021 at approximately 1500 zulu. Accident occurred at Pace Airport (VA02) in Ridgeway, Virginia. One person on board, privacy data omitted, pilot in command, sustaining no injuries. Aircraft departed Pace Airport and experienced an engine failure during climb out. Pilot made an emergency landing adjacent to the airport in an area consisting of trees and shrubs. The aircraft came to rest suspended by small trees and brush with no evidence of ground contact. Inspectors inspected the aircraft and found the right wing inboard fuel tank was empty and the left inboard and outboard tank full of 100LL. Inspectors were unable to access right outboard wing tank. The fuel gascolator drain valve was actuated and only a small amount of fuel was observed dripping out of it. The number 6 cylinder spark plug wire was observed chaffed. Inspectors removed the number 6 spark plug and noticed the spark plug was inundated with oil and the wire was extremely loose and appeared to have been internally broken.

As the FAA filed it

N11527, MAULE M-4-220C, WAS REPORTED BEING INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT ON NOVEMBER 7, 2021 AT APPROXIMATELY 1500 ZULU. ACCIDENT OCCURRED AT PACE AIRPORT (VA02) IN RIDGEWAY, VIRGINIA. ONE PERSON ON BOARD, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, PILOT IN COMMAND, SUSTAINING NO INJURIES. AIRCRAFT DEPARTED PACE AIRPORT AND EXPERIENCED AN ENGINE FAILURE DURING CLIMB OUT. PILOT MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING ADJACENT TO THE AIRPORT IN AN AREA CONSISTING OF TREES AND SHRUBS. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST SUSPENDED BY SMALL TREES AND BRUSH WITH NO EVIDENCE OF GROUND CONTACT. INSPECTORS INSPECTED THE AIRCRAFT AND FOUND THE RIGHT WING INBOARD FUEL TANK WAS EMPTY AND THE LEFT INBOARD AND OUTBOARD TANK FULL OF 100LL. INSPECTORS WERE UNABLE TO ACCESS RIGHT OUTBOARD WING TANK. THE FUEL GASCOLATOR DRAIN VALVE WAS ACTUATED AND ONLY A SMALL AMOUNT OF FUEL WAS OBSERVED DRIPPING OUT OF IT. THE NUMBER 6 CYLINDER SPARK PLUG WIRE WAS OBSERVED CHAFFED. INSPECTORS REMOVED THE NUMBER 6 SPARK PLUG AND NOTICED THE SPARK PLUG WAS INUNDATED WITH OIL AND THE WIRE WAS EXTREMELY LOOSE AND APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN INTERNALLY BROKEN.

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 ERA22LA052Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportRidgeway, VAThe pilot’s improper fuel management which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s inadequate preflight inspection.Nov 7, 2021 · Substantial damage