- Date
- April 3, 1990, 11:15 local (16:15 UTC)
- Place
- Wilmington, NC
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N2246UPZL 80
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 9, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900403007449A
- Case key
- 8226
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Pilot's failure to properly adjust the throttle friction which resulted in the disconnection of the entire assembly.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
During the preflight inspection the pilot reported that the throttle was stiff. He released the friction, but the throttle lever remained stiff. Shortly after takeoff the throttle friction knob fell from the throttle assembly. The pilots recovered the knob, but were unable to replace the knob. During the approach to Wilmington, the pilots reduced the throttle and the engine quit. The pilots could not advance the throttle. The airplane crashed landed into trees short of the airport. A subsequent examination disclosed that the friction knob is also the axle which supports the throttle and propeller levers. Thus, its removal prevented normal operation of the throttle assemble.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2246U
- Reported as
- PZL 80
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- CE20890878
- Engine
- Pzl-Kalisz A1-14RA, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Melex USA Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- ILM · Wilmington, NC
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 52
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 15,000 total · 1 in this make and model · 6,500 as pilot in command · 18 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 14 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ILM, 3 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.