# Accident 20240509008889A: Sterling Robert 4P, Lake Havasu, CA, May 9, 2024 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: May 9, 2024, 14:20 local time - Place: Lake Havasu, CA - Airport: Lake Havasu City - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 34.5685° N, 114.3540° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.5685&lon=-114.3540&mi=10 - Aircraft: N78GP, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N78GP) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Sterling Robert 4P (registry code 05603B8, https://openairdocs.org/model/sterling-robert-4p) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming IO-540 series (registry code 41530, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-540-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: STERLING ROBERT 4P - Reported engine: LYCOMING IO-540 SER - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 1 - Pilot certificates: Private pilot - Pilot flight hours: 1,051 total - NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR24LA146](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR24LA146) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20240509008889A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HAD JUST RECENTLY PURCHASED THE AIRCRAFT, WHICH HAD BEEN STORED IN A HANGER SINCE 2019. A MECHANIC WAS HIRED TO PERFORM A CONDITIONAL INSPECTION AND RETURN THE AIRCRAFT BACK INTO SERVICE. THE PILOT WHO PERFORMED THE MAINTENANCE TEST FLIGHT THAT RESULTED IN THE ACCIDENT IS ALSO THE MECHANIC WHO COMPLETED THE CONDITIONAL INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC/PILOT WAS INTERVIEWED ON 05/20/2024 AND HE PROVIDED THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION. HE INDICATED THE FUEL SYSTEM WAS CLEANED AND INSPECTED DURING THE CONDITIONAL INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT AND NOTHING UNUSUAL WAS FOUND. PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT. A CONDITIONAL INSPECTION WAS COMPLETED AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS FUELED WITH 25 GALLONS OF AVIATION GAS. A PREFLIGHT INSPECTION WAS COMPLETED PRIOR TO ENGINE START AND NORMAL ENGINE START AND BEFORE TAKEOFF CHECKS WERE COMPLETED BEFORE THE FLIGHT. THE PILOT INITIATED A NORMAL TAKEOFF FROM RUNWAY 14 AND INTENDED TO STAY IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN FOR THE MAINTENANCE TEST FLIGHT. THE CLIMB OUT ON THE UPWIND WAS NORMAL AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS CLIMBING OUT AT ABOUT 500 FPM. THE PILOT TURNED CROSSWIND ABOUT 1/4 MILE FROM THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY. WHILE ON THE CROSSWIND THE PILOT TRIMMED THE AIRCRAFT WHICH HE BELIEVES MAY HAVE DELAYED HIS DOWNWIND TURN. JUST AS THE PILOT STARTED HIS DOWNWIND TURN, HE NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE POWER ROLLED BACK TO IDLE. HE CHECKED THE THROTTLE, WHICH WAS STILL AT FULL POWER, AND THE FUEL SELECTOR AND FUEL MIXTURE CONTROLS WHICH WERE ON THE RIGHT TANK AND FULL RICH RESPECTIVELY. THE PILOT INITIATED A TURN BACK TO THE AIRPORT AND DETERMINED HE DID NOT HAVE THE REQUIRED ALTITUDE AND AIRSPEED TO MAKE IT BACK TO THE AIRPORT. HE SELECTED THE A LEVEL LOCATION BETWEEN HIS POSITION AND THE AIRPORT AND ATTEMPTED AN OFF-FIELD LANDING. ON LANDING THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED AND THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED OVER. BASED ON INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THE PILOT, THE TIME THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN IN STORAGE, AND THIS INSPECTOR’S INITIAL CONVERSATION WITH NTSB INVESTIGATOR, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, IT APPEARS A FUEL SERVO FAILURE MAY HAVE BEEN THE CAUSE OF THE ENGINE'S LOSS OF POWER AND THE ACCIDENT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ INDICATED THE AIRCRAFT WAS EQUIPPED WITH A JPI 900 ENGINE MONITOR THAT WOULD ALLOW THE DOWNLOADING OF ENGINE INSTRUMENT DATA FROM THE FLIGHT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ INDICATED HE WOULD BE TRAVELING TO THE SITE TO DOWNLOAD THE ENGINE DATA FROM THE JPI ENGINE MONITOR AND TO INSPECT THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE AND FUEL SYSTEM. ON 5/30/2024 ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND THIS INSPECTOR MEET AT THE LAKE HAVASU CITY AIRPORT TO INSPECT THE AIRCRAFT AND TO DETERMINE THE MOST LIKELY CAUSE OF THE APPARENT ENGINE'S LOSS OF POWER. JPI ENGINE DATA WAS DOWNLOADED WHICH INDICATED A SPIKE IN ENGINE EGTS AND CHTS IN CONJUNCTION WITH A REDUCTION IN FUEL FLOW TO THE ENGINE FOLLOWED BY A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN ENGINE RPMS. NTSB INVESTIGATOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^EXAMINED THE AIRCRAFT AND THE AIRCRAFT'S FUEL SYSTEM. THE SUMMARY OF ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ EXAMINATION INDICATED THE ENGINE APPEARED ESSENTIALLY UNDAMAGED WITH NO EVIDENCE OF A CATASTROPHIC INTERNAL FAILURE. THE FUEL LINES FROM THE FIREWALL TO EACH INJECTOR WERE EXAMINED AND NO ANOMALIES WERE OBSERVED THAT WOULD HAVE PRECLUDED NORMAL OPERATION. THE FUEL SERVO AND FLOW DIVIDER VALVE WERE REMOVED FOR FURTHER INSPECTION BY THE MANUFACTURER, AIRFLOW PERFORMANCE. AIRFLOW PERFORMANCE RECORDS SHOW THAT FM-200 FUEL CONTROL S/N 972641 WAS BUILT AND CALIBRATED APRIL 22,1997. THEY SHOW NO RECORD OF THIS FUEL CONTROL BEING RETURNED FOR SERVICE. THE SERVO IS 27 YEARS OLD AND HAS NOT BEEN SERVICED. A 12-YEAR OVERHAUL IS RECOMMENDED. THIS INVESTIGATION APPEARS TO INDICATE THE MOST LIKELY CAUSE OF A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER AND THE SUBSEQUENT ACCIDENT IS THE FAILURE OF THE ENGINE FUEL SERVO. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB WPR24LA146](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR24LA146), May 9, 2024: Robert Sterling 4P (N78GP), Lake Havasu City, AZ, substantial damage. Probable cause: A loss of engine power during initial climb due to fuel vapor lock. Contributing to the accident was the incorrect installation of the ancillary fuel supply system components. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.