CEN20LA265

The student pilot departed for a local, personal flight with one passenger onboard. The student reported that the engine stopped producing power and that he tried to restart it without success. The student had no further recollection of events. A witness reported hearing the airplane having engine “trouble” and subsequently seeing it impact a cornfield, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The propeller could be rotated by hand, and the engine was not was not mechanically bound. The fuel tank was empty and 1/4 cup of fuel was drained from the sump drain valve. No fuel was found in the fuel bowl. Given the evidence, it is likely the engine experienced a total loss of power due to fuel exhaustion. It is likely that the student failed to verify sufficient fuel was onboard for the flight. The oil dipstick was dry, and only five drops of oil were drained from the bottom drain valve. However, the airplane had been in a steep, nose-down attitude for 2 weeks, which could have resulted in oil going into a sump or hidden cavity.

On July 1, 2020, about 1915 central daylight time, a Titan Tornado airplane, N5082N, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Marksville, Louisiana. The student pilot and the passenger sustained serious injuries. The airplane was being operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the airplane departed from a private airstrip near LeCompte, Louisiana, for a local flight with one passenger onboard. The student reported that the engine stopped producing power and that he tried to restart it unsuccessfully. The student had no further recollection of events. A witness reported hearing the airplane having engine “trouble” before it impacted a cornfield. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. During initial examination of the wreckage, the propeller could be rotated by hand, and the engine was not mechanically bound. The fuel tank was empty and 1/4 cup of liquid consistent with 100 low lead aviation gasoline was drained from the sump drain valve. The fuel was clear and bright. During subsequent examination, the inline fuel filter was found wet, but no fuel was found. When air was blown into the fuel filter in the direction of flow, only mist came out. No fuel was found in the fuel filter bowl, but white residue was found in it. The bottom orifice of the filter bowl, which feeds the brass pick-up tube, was 50% blocked. No anomalies were noted with the carburetor float assembly, and it operated normally. All the carburetor’s mechanical linkages were operational. The carburetor air intake filter was clean and free of dirt and debris. An engine representative reported that the pick-up tube picks up fuel downstream of the “butterfly” for startup and serves no purpose during normal operation. He reported that the pick-up tube appeared to be corroded due to water contamination and that the white and black discoloration in the float bowl was consistent with water being in the bowl. The brass pickup tube was also corroded. The engine oil system was also examined. The oil dipstick was dry, and only five drops of oil were drained from the bottom drain valve. The FAA inspector who examined the airplane noted that it had been in a steep nose-down attitude for 2 weeks, and the oil could have gone into a sump or hidden cavity. Per the engine representative, the engine has no oil check valve. If the engine is on its side or nose down, it will vent oil from the fill tube.