- Date
- August 25, 2001, 15:35 local (22:35 UTC)
- Place
- Bonney Lake, WA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N34DQSuper Quickie 2
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 24, 2002
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20010825028489A
- Case key
- 53139
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
Improper carburetor adjustment resulting in a total loss of engine power while in a descent configuration. Factors include an excessively lean mixture setting and unsuitable terrain for landing.
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
The pilot reported that as he reduced the throttle, while in a descent, the engine quit. He attempted to restart the engine without success, and elected to make an off-airport landing. Post-accident inspection of the carburetor revealed that the carburetor was adjusted to an excessively lean mixture setting, precluding stable operation below 1500 RPM. The pilot reported that prior to the accident flight, he adjusted the carburetor in an effort to overcome an excessively rich mixture setting.
Factual narrative
On August 25, 2001, at 1535 Pacific daylight time (PDT), a non-certified Super Quickie 2, N34DQ, sustained substantial damage during an off airport forced landing on a public road following a loss of engine power. The airplane is owned by the pilot, and was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal/pleasure flight under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91. The accident occurred near Bonney Lake, Washington. The pilot, the sole occupant of the aircraft, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local flight. The flight originated from Auburn Municipal Airport (S50), Auburn, Washington.
In a written statement, the pilot reported that as he reduced the throttle, while in a descent, the engine quit. He attempted to restart the engine without success, and elected to make an off-airport landing. He further reported that the airplane "...touched down a bit [too] hard breaking the canard..." resulting in a loss of directional control.
On October 1, 2001, personnel from the NTSB and Ellison Fluid Systems, manufacturer of the accident aircraft's carburetor, performed a post accident teardown and bench test of the carburetor. The report concluded, "Functional testing with customer's idle adjustments intact, revealed excessively lean mixture at idle, precluding stable operation below 1500 RPM. Engine operation at 2000 to 3000 RPM was normal."
The pilot reported that prior to the accident flight, he adjusted the carburetor in an effort to overcome an excessively rich mixture setting.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N34DQ
- Reported as
- Super Quickie 2
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- SQ-01
- Engine
- Revmaster D-2100, 70 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Departed
- S50 · Auburn, WA
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
- 31
- Injuries
- None
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Unknown, Expired
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.01 inHg
- Observed at
- TCM, 13 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.