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20240314002229A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Wright David SPORTSMAN 2+2 · Fort Meade, FL · March 14, 2024

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
March 14, 2024 · 14:42 local
Place
Fort Meade, FL
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N76TG
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA24LA144
Reported as
Wright David Sportsman 2 + 2
Reported engine
Lycoming YO-360-A1F6
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
2
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
2,300 total21 in this make and model25 in the last 90 days
N76TGRegistered now · Wright David SPORTSMAN 2+2S/N 7278Airframe modelWright David SPORTSMAN 2+2Engine modelAmateur-built UNKNOWN ENG

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.

On March 14, 2024 at approximately 1323 EDT, an experimental amateur built sportsman 2+2 with a pilot and a passenger on board departed lakeland linder international airport (klal), lakeland, FL, for fly in ranches airport (FD25), vero beach, FL. Immediately after take off, the pilot smelled smoke and reported smoke in the cockpit to ATC. The pilot landed without incident, inspected the engine compartment and found what he believed to be a discolored scat tube touching the engine header pipe and carburetor heat valve partially open. He corrected these issues and at approximately 1440 EDT, took off again. Approximately ten miles out from klal, the cockpit filled with smoke, the engine stopped, and the pilot emergency landed in an open field near Fort Meade, FL. Upon landing, the aircraft main wheels sunk into the loose dirt and the aircraft flipped upside down. The pilot and passenger egressed with no injuries. The fire in the engine then spread to the entire aircraft. The aircraft was destroyed.

As the FAA filed it

ON MARCH 14, 2024 AT APPROXIMATELY 1323 EDT, AN EXPERIMENTAL AMATEUR BUILT SPORTSMAN 2+2 WITH A PILOT AND A PASSENGER ON BOARD DEPARTED LAKELAND LINDER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (KLAL), LAKELAND, FL, FOR FLY IN RANCHES AIRPORT (FD25), VERO BEACH, FL. IMMEDIATELY AFTER TAKE OFF, THE PILOT SMELLED SMOKE AND REPORTED SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT TO ATC. THE PILOT LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT, INSPECTED THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND FOUND WHAT HE BELIEVED TO BE A DISCOLORED SCAT TUBE TOUCHING THE ENGINE HEADER PIPE AND CARBURETOR HEAT VALVE PARTIALLY OPEN. HE CORRECTED THESE ISSUES AND AT APPROXIMATELY 1440 EDT, TOOK OFF AGAIN. APPROXIMATELY TEN MILES OUT FROM KLAL, THE COCKPIT FILLED WITH SMOKE, THE ENGINE STOPPED, AND THE PILOT EMERGENCY LANDED IN AN OPEN FIELD NEAR FORT MEADE, FL. UPON LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT MAIN WHEELS SUNK INTO THE LOOSE DIRT AND THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED UPSIDE DOWN. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER EGRESSED WITH NO INJURIES. THE FIRE IN THE ENGINE THEN SPREAD TO THE ENTIRE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED.

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 ERA24LA144Accident · No injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportFort Meade, FLThe pilot’s inadequate inspection of the airplane following an inflight smoke event, which result in separation of the exhaust pipe and hot exhaust igniting the engine cowling, and a subsequent loss of engine power.Mar 14, 2024 · Destroyed