What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Following aircraft release from maintenance, the pilot taxied the aircraft to the fuel pump, and loaded approximately 35 gallons of fuel into the right and left tip tanks and the right main tank. The pilot then started the aircraft on the left tip tank, and taxied to the runup Area by runway 06. During the run up, the pilot tested the magnetos, the right magneto dropped 400 RPM and the left magneto dropped 150 RPM. The pilot then leaned the mixture and ran the engine at high RPM for approximately 4 minutes, and then retested the magnetos. During the second magneto check, both left and right magnetos dropped 75 RPM. The pilot finished the runup, switched tanks to the right main, and departed runway 06. Climb out was normal. On downwind, at approximately 127KNOTS and abeam the numbers of runway 06, the pilot noticed the fuel flow meter drop from 18 gph to 14 gph. The pilot then reduced throttle to idle, mixture full, props full forward, and fuel pump on, and began descent to the runway. On final for 06, the pilot added throttle, but there was no engine response, the pilot then added full throttle, and still had no engine response. Pilot determined engine had lost power, and focused on clearing trees beneath the aircraft, at the tree line, the pilot heard the stall horn start, and stated the horn continued to sound through contact with the ground. Aircraft made first impact approximately 200 yards from the end of runway 06 in a field, where the left gear seperated from the aircraft and the nose gear collapsed underneath the fuselage, and then regained flight for approximately 80 yards, before contacting the ground 120 yards from the end of the runway. The aircraft then rolled into a ditch abeam the end of the runway and came to rest.
During an inspection of the aircraft after the crash it was found that fuel was leaking from the b-nut on the line from the fuel servo to the flow divider. Fuel b-nut was loose and took 1-1.5 turns to tighten it. Also found several instances where improper maintenance was performed during the last aircraft annual inspection. Annual inspection returned to service by inspection authorization (IA) on 09/25/2024. An eir was initiated to perform an investigation into the IA and the maintenance performed.
As the FAA filed it
FOLLOWING AIRCRAFT RELEASE FROM MAINTENANCE, THE PILOT TAXIED THE AIRCRAFT TO THE FUEL PUMP, AND LOADED APPROXIMATELY 35 GALLONS OF FUEL INTO THE RIGHT AND LEFT TIP TANKS AND THE RIGHT MAIN TANK. THE PILOT THEN STARTED THE AIRCRAFT ON THE LEFT TIP TANK, AND TAXIED TO THE RUNUP AREA BY RUNWAY 06. DURING THE RUN UP, THE PILOT TESTED THE MAGNETOS, THE RIGHT MAGNETO DROPPED 400 RPM AND THE LEFT MAGNETO DROPPED 150 RPM. THE PILOT THEN LEANED THE MIXTURE AND RAN THE ENGINE AT HIGH RPM FOR APPROXIMATELY 4 MINUTES, AND THEN RETESTED THE MAGNETOS. DURING THE SECOND MAGNETO CHECK, BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT MAGNETOS DROPPED 75 RPM. THE PILOT FINISHED THE RUNUP, SWITCHED TANKS TO THE RIGHT MAIN, AND DEPARTED RUNWAY 06. CLIMB OUT WAS NORMAL. ON DOWNWIND, AT APPROXIMATELY 127KNOTS AND ABEAM THE NUMBERS OF RUNWAY 06, THE PILOT NOTICED THE FUEL FLOW METER DROP FROM 18 GPH TO 14 GPH. THE PILOT THEN REDUCED THROTTLE TO IDLE, MIXTURE FULL, PROPS FULL FORWARD, AND FUEL PUMP ON, AND BEGAN DESCENT TO THE RUNWAY. ON FINAL FOR 06, THE PILOT ADDED THROTTLE, BUT THERE WAS NO ENGINE RESPONSE, THE PILOT THEN ADDED FULL THROTTLE, AND STILL HAD NO ENGINE RESPONSE. PILOT DETERMINED ENGINE HAD LOST POWER, AND FOCUSED ON CLEARING TREES BENEATH THE AIRCRAFT, AT THE TREE LINE, THE PILOT HEARD THE STALL HORN START, AND STATED THE HORN CONTINUED TO SOUND THROUGH CONTACT WITH THE GROUND. AIRCRAFT MADE FIRST IMPACT APPROXIMATELY 200 YARDS FROM THE END OF RUNWAY 06 IN A FIELD, WHERE THE LEFT GEAR SEPERATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED UNDERNEATH THE FUSELAGE, AND THEN REGAINED FLIGHT FOR APPROXIMATELY 80 YARDS, BEFORE CONTACTING THE GROUND 120 YARDS FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT THEN ROLLED INTO A DITCH ABEAM THE END OF THE RUNWAY AND CAME TO REST.
DURING AN INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT AFTER THE CRASH IT WAS FOUND THAT FUEL WAS LEAKING FROM THE B-NUT ON THE LINE FROM THE FUEL SERVO TO THE FLOW DIVIDER. FUEL B-NUT WAS LOOSE AND TOOK 1-1.5 TURNS TO TIGHTEN IT. ALSO FOUND SEVERAL INSTANCES WHERE IMPROPER MAINTENANCE WAS PERFORMED DURING THE LAST AIRCRAFT ANNUAL INSPECTION. ANNUAL INSPECTION RETURNED TO SERVICE BY INSPECTION AUTHORIZATION (IA) ON 09/25/2024. AN EIR WAS INITIATED TO PERFORM AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE IA AND THE MAINTENANCE PERFORMED.
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 N31407 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.