What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot reported that N8540X departed RY21L and within less than a minute and about 1/2 mile of the departure end of the runway time the engine suddenly stopped and he heard the propeller spinning but no sounds from motor. He reported that he immediately pushed nose down and mixture to full rich, then recycled the mags to no effect. Returned mixture to ¾ plus rich and decided to find a place to land. Aircraft was put down in an open field, but when it set down it hit a large stump, collapsed the nose gear and I flipped upside down.
Engine was run at salvage yard, but only at low power setting because of bent propeller blade. Fuel screens fuel tanks were inspected and found clean, and fuel selector valve was removed form aircraft, dissembled and inspected and found to have been operative. No reason for power loss was found. Pilot was questioned about use of fuel
Selector and he stated that he always keeps it in both. First responder was contacted and it was confirmed that they found the fuel selected on and they had turned it off.
Investigation was limited because the accident was not fatal and the manufacturer's investigators were not assisting in investigation. Investigation could not conclude or confirm any failures of the nine FAA responsibilities.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT REPORTED THAT N8540X DEPARTED RY21L AND WITHIN LESS THAN A MINUTE AND ABOUT 1/2 MILE OF THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY TIME THE ENGINE SUDDENLY STOPPED AND HE HEARD THE PROPELLER SPINNING BUT NO SOUNDS FROM MOTOR. HE REPORTED THAT HE IMMEDIATELY PUSHED NOSE DOWN AND MIXTURE TO FULL RICH, THEN RECYCLED THE MAGS TO NO EFFECT. RETURNED MIXTURE TO ¾ PLUS RICH AND DECIDED TO FIND A PLACE TO LAND. AIRCRAFT WAS PUT DOWN IN AN OPEN FIELD, BUT WHEN IT SET DOWN IT HIT A LARGE STUMP, COLLAPSED THE NOSE GEAR AND I FLIPPED UPSIDE DOWN.
ENGINE WAS RUN AT SALVAGE YARD, BUT ONLY AT LOW POWER SETTING BECAUSE OF BENT PROPELLER BLADE. FUEL SCREENS FUEL TANKS WERE INSPECTED AND FOUND CLEAN, AND FUEL SELECTOR VALVE WAS REMOVED FORM AIRCRAFT, DISSEMBLED AND INSPECTED AND FOUND TO HAVE BEEN OPERATIVE. NO REASON FOR POWER LOSS WAS FOUND. PILOT WAS QUESTIONED ABOUT USE OF FUEL
SELECTOR AND HE STATED THAT HE ALWAYS KEEPS IT IN BOTH. FIRST RESPONDER WAS CONTACTED AND IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THEY FOUND THE FUEL SELECTED ON AND THEY HAD TURNED IT OFF.
INVESTIGATION WAS LIMITED BECAUSE THE ACCIDENT WAS NOT FATAL AND THE MANUFACTURER'S INVESTIGATORS WERE NOT ASSISTING IN INVESTIGATION. INVESTIGATION COULD NOT CONCLUDE OR CONFIRM ANY FAILURES OF THE NINE FAA RESPONSIBILITIES.
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 N8540X · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.