NYC98LA109

After takeoff, about 100 feet above the ground, the airplane suffered a complete power loss. The pilot activated the wobble pump, but the engine would not respond. He tried to dissipate airspeed and altitude with skidding S-turns to remain over the runway. The pilot said he then intentionally stalled the airplane because the runway had no overrun, and the terrain dropped sharply, about 100 feet, into a creek and trees. The airplane stalled from about a 30 foot height, impacted left wing, nose down, and came to rest upside down, just off the end of the runway. It was consumed by fire. The pilot said he felt the airplane was on fire in flight, before the crash. Examination revealed the carburetor flexible inlet line had failed at the sleeve fitting.

On May 15, 1998, about 1320 Eastern Daylight Time, a homebuilt Deberry Marquart MA-5, N83MC, was destroyed during a forced landing after takeoff from Clearview Airpark Airport (2W2), Westminster, Maryland. The certificated private pilot received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. No flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.

The accident airplane was the fourth airplane to be constructed by the pilot, and had 27 hours of total flight time. He stated it "performed normally on takeoff," then experienced a complete power loss about 100 feet above ground. The pilot activated the wobble pump, but the engine would not respond. He then "S-turned" by using the rudder to slip the airplane. His stated his intention was to bleed off airspeed and altitude, so as to remain over the runway. Then, he intentionally stalled the airplane at about 30 feet, and it impacted left wing, nose down. It came to rest upside down, just off the end of the runway, and fire consumed it. The pilot stated he intentionally stalled the airplane because there was no runway overrun, and the terrain dropped sharply, about 100 feet, into a creek and trees.

In a statement to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Inspector, the pilot said he felt the airplane was on fire in flight, before the crash. According to the Inspector, "Investigation at the accident site and engine teardown inspection support this supposition. The carburetor flexible inlet line failed at the sleeve fitting, causing a fuel jet effect or blowtorch effect due to the higher fuel pressure from the action of the wobble pump.... Unable to determine if the failure of the flexible fuel line was due to improper manufacture of the line or improper installation."