- Date
- June 2, 1991, 11:04 local (18:04 UTC)
- Place
- Byron, CA
- Injuries
- 2 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N40693Maule M-4-220C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 27, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910602018649A
- Case key
- 27229
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
The failure of the pilot-in-command to perform an adequate preflight inspection by taking the necessary steps to eliminate water contamination of the airplane's fuel system.
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
A Maule M-4-220C collided with a four foot high dirt bank after a loss of engine power during takeoff. The pilot reported the engine power was surging during the initial takeoff climb. At 75 ft AGL the engine stopped. The engine started and ran without any malfunctions during a post accident exam. The pilot suspected possible water in the fuel or sediments temporarily blocking a fuel line. The airplane was last flown 1 week earlier for 1 hr and 15 min. Fueling records established that the airplane was fueled with 8.9 gallons of aviation fuel after the flight. The fuel consumption for the engine averages in excess of 12 gal/hr. The FAA recommends that the fuel tanks be completely filled after each flight, or at least after the last flight of the day. The reason is that when air in the fuel tank cools, the moisture it contains condenses into water, and contaminates the fuel. Pilots should take the necessary steps to eliminate it during preflight inspection.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N40693
- Reported as
- Maule M-4-220C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2183C
- Airframe hours
- 862
- Engine
- Franklin 6A-350-C1, 220 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Andre D. Baury
- Registered owner
- Andre D. Baury
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 18, 1991 · 2 hours before
- Destination
- SQL · San Carlos, CA
- Airport
- 4Q5 · Byron Aprt, runway 22, 2,800 × 30 ft, asphalt
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
- 59
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,362 total · 125 in this make and model · 1,039 as pilot in command · 24 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 14 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CCR, 24 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.