ERA24LA190

The pilot/owner was flying his airplane to another airport to get an annual inspection, after not previously having been inspected for almost 10 years. On takeoff, the airplane did not climb as expected and began to lose altitude with the landing gear still extended. A witness described that the airplane’s engine was “sputtering” and there was a significant drop in rpm. The airplane did not climb, encountered an aerodynamic stall, and impacted a field beyond the departure end of the runway, which resulted in substantial damage to the lower fuselage. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed low compression on the No. 2 cylinder. The cylinder also displayed carbon build-up around the intake valve, and the valve was not sealing and appeared to be cracked. Based on the available information, this likely resulted a partial loss of engine power during the takeoff and the engine sounds heard by the witness. Had the airplane undergone the required annual inspection before the flight, it is likely that the deficient condition of the cylinder would have been detected and corrected, thus preventing the accident.

On April 22, 2024, at 1715 eastern daylight time, a Beech B24R, N53EM, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident at the Flying W Airport (N14), Lumberton Township, New Jersey. The pilot sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 personal flight. The pilot/owner said he was taking his airplane get an annual inspection at another airport. He performed a preflight inspection of the airplane, started the engine, and checked the magnetos before departing. Once the airplane became airborne, it did not climb very well and began to settle back towards the ground with the landing gear still extended. A witness said the airplane’s engine was “sputtering” as it was trying to climb, and sounded like there was a significant drop in rpm. The witness that the airplane subsequently “stalled” and impacted a field off the end of the runway. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the lower fuselage sustained substantial damage. Examination of the engine revealed low compression on the No. 2 cylinder. The cylinder was examined with a borescope and carbon build-up was noted. The intake valve was not sealing, and the valve seat appeared to be cracked. A review of the maintenance records revealed the last annual inspection on the engine was completed on May 14, 2014, at a total time of 1,469.2 hours since overhaul. At the time of the accident, the airplane had accrued about 16 hours since the last annual inspection. Per Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) 91.409(a), an aircraft must undergo an annual maintenance inspection every 12 calendar months to be legal to operate. 14 CFR Part 43, Appendix D, outlines the scope and detail of items that must be checked during the annual inspection of reciprocating engine aircraft. This regulation is critical for ensuring the airworthiness of aircraft by mandating comprehensive inspections of various systems and components, including the engine.