What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On February 20, 2022, N5042K Navion L-17B had to make an emergency landing in a soft field just west of 8437 Illinois state route 4 Staunton, IL, due to engine failure, causing significate damage. All occupants of N5042K related no injuries and refused medical assistance.
On February 21, 2022, asis traveled to the landing site, to take pictures and begin the investigation into the circumstances that lead to the emergency landing and subsequent significate damage to N5042K. Upon arrival asis documented, with pictures, N5042K'S landing gear burred in a muddy field, resting in an east-southeasterly direction. Asis annotated significate damage to both wing tips and also the nose cone and propellers. N5042K had come from the south and touched down on the main landing gear, crossed a field road and continued approximately fifty (50) yards. Due to the wet/muddy condition of the field exact measurements were not able to be taken. N5042K?s nose gear appeared to sink into the mud, causing the aircraft to tip up on the nose and wings turning it 120 degrees clockwise from the entry track to its resting place. Asis took 50 pictures on scene of N5042K, visible damage, and cockpit instruments.
Note: the engine/fuel system needs to be inspected to further help with the evaluation.
5/17/2022 Amendment:
On 05/11/2022 - an evaluation of the fuel system components was conducted in N5042K. The fuel system was configured as it would be if attached the engine. Upon introducing fuel, the fuel flow was wandering, and would not stay set indicating contamination. The following was accomplished during the investigation. 1. Control valve assembly for the (fuel injection system) part number: 629904-2, serial number: I23760SA. The throttle metering unit was found leaking fuel through a screw to the metering insert. The control valve assembly metering unit was disassembled and the throttle control unit shafts and metering valve had damage indicating debris. 2. Fuel manifold valve assembly part number: 631427-1, serial number: M1629. The flow divider was leaking fuel into the air side of the diaphragm when disassembled. Although leaking into the air side this would not have caused the too rich condition of the fuel system. 3. Fuel pump to crankcase part number: 638154-2, serial number: M3989. The fuel pressure from the fuel pump was low. The PSI was around 4.5 PSI. It should have been 9 to 11 PSI. The fuel pump was disassembled and contamination was on the pressure seat. There was damage on the seat indicating debris. The technicians did not remove the rubber from the seat of the fuel pump. It was left in place. It was determined the fuel pump debris was not allowing the pressure seat to close resulting in excessive fuel flow and flooding the IO-520-B, serial number, 126406-8-C.
It cannot be determined where the fuel contamination originated from. It was verified that the PIC performed a fuel sample test prior to the flight, and there was no debris noted. Also, prior this flight, the aircraft had been in storage for 2 years.
As the FAA filed it
ON FEBRUARY 20, 2022, N5042K NAVION L-17B HAD TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A SOFT FIELD JUST WEST OF 8437 ILLINOIS STATE ROUTE 4 STAUNTON, IL, DUE TO ENGINE FAILURE, CAUSING SIGNIFICATE DAMAGE. ALL OCCUPANTS OF N5042K RELATED NO INJURIES AND REFUSED MEDICAL ASSISTANCE.
ON FEBRUARY 21, 2022, ASIS TRAVELED TO THE LANDING SITE, TO TAKE PICTURES AND BEGIN THE INVESTIGATION INTO THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT LEAD TO THE EMERGENCY LANDING AND SUBSEQUENT SIGNIFICATE DAMAGE TO N5042K. UPON ARRIVAL ASIS DOCUMENTED, WITH PICTURES, N5042K'S LANDING GEAR BURRED IN A MUDDY FIELD, RESTING IN AN EAST-SOUTHEASTERLY DIRECTION. ASIS ANNOTATED SIGNIFICATE DAMAGE TO BOTH WING TIPS AND ALSO THE NOSE CONE AND PROPELLERS. N5042K HAD COME FROM THE SOUTH AND TOUCHED DOWN ON THE MAIN LANDING GEAR, CROSSED A FIELD ROAD AND CONTINUED APPROXIMATELY FIFTY (50) YARDS. DUE TO THE WET/MUDDY CONDITION OF THE FIELD EXACT MEASUREMENTS WERE NOT ABLE TO BE TAKEN. N5042K?S NOSE GEAR APPEARED TO SINK INTO THE MUD, CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO TIP UP ON THE NOSE AND WINGS TURNING IT 120 DEGREES CLOCKWISE FROM THE ENTRY TRACK TO ITS RESTING PLACE. ASIS TOOK 50 PICTURES ON SCENE OF N5042K, VISIBLE DAMAGE, AND COCKPIT INSTRUMENTS.
NOTE: THE ENGINE/FUEL SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE INSPECTED TO FURTHER HELP WITH THE EVALUATION.
5/17/2022 AMENDMENT:
ON 05/11/2022 - AN EVALUATION OF THE FUEL SYSTEM COMPONENTS WAS CONDUCTED IN N5042K. THE FUEL SYSTEM WAS CONFIGURED AS IT WOULD BE IF ATTACHED THE ENGINE. UPON INTRODUCING FUEL, THE FUEL FLOW WAS WANDERING, AND WOULD NOT STAY SET INDICATING CONTAMINATION. THE FOLLOWING WAS ACCOMPLISHED DURING THE INVESTIGATION. 1. CONTROL VALVE ASSEMBLY FOR THE (FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM) PART NUMBER: 629904-2, SERIAL NUMBER: I23760SA. THE THROTTLE METERING UNIT WAS FOUND LEAKING FUEL THROUGH A SCREW TO THE METERING INSERT. THE CONTROL VALVE ASSEMBLY METERING UNIT WAS DISASSEMBLED AND THE THROTTLE CONTROL UNIT SHAFTS AND METERING VALVE HAD DAMAGE INDICATING DEBRIS. 2. FUEL MANIFOLD VALVE ASSEMBLY PART NUMBER: 631427-1, SERIAL NUMBER: M1629. THE FLOW DIVIDER WAS LEAKING FUEL INTO THE AIR SIDE OF THE DIAPHRAGM WHEN DISASSEMBLED. ALTHOUGH LEAKING INTO THE AIR SIDE THIS WOULD NOT HAVE CAUSED THE TOO RICH CONDITION OF THE FUEL SYSTEM. 3. FUEL PUMP TO CRANKCASE PART NUMBER: 638154-2, SERIAL NUMBER: M3989. THE FUEL PRESSURE FROM THE FUEL PUMP WAS LOW. THE PSI WAS AROUND 4.5 PSI. IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN 9 TO 11 PSI. THE FUEL PUMP WAS DISASSEMBLED AND CONTAMINATION WAS ON THE PRESSURE SEAT. THERE WAS DAMAGE ON THE SEAT INDICATING DEBRIS. THE TECHNICIANS DID NOT REMOVE THE RUBBER FROM THE SEAT OF THE FUEL PUMP. IT WAS LEFT IN PLACE. IT WAS DETERMINED THE FUEL PUMP DEBRIS WAS NOT ALLOWING THE PRESSURE SEAT TO CLOSE RESULTING IN EXCESSIVE FUEL FLOW AND FLOODING THE IO-520-B, SERIAL NUMBER, 126406-8-C.
IT CANNOT BE DETERMINED WHERE THE FUEL CONTAMINATION ORIGINATED FROM. IT WAS VERIFIED THAT THE PIC PERFORMED A FUEL SAMPLE TEST PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT, AND THERE WAS NO DEBRIS NOTED. ALSO, PRIOR THIS FLIGHT, THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN IN STORAGE FOR 2 YEARS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.