- Date
- April 21, 2021, 17:15 local (Apr 22, 2021, 00:15 UTC)
- Place
- Friday Harbor, WA · Off Airport
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N888MJMichael J Robbins Searey
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of engine power (partial)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20210422006529A
- Case key
- 102962
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
Partial loss of engine power due to the detachment of the throttle cable from the carburetor arm, as a result of the pilot’s inadequate maintenance which resulted in an off-airport landing and impact with vegetation.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot of an experimental amphibian airplane reported that, during takeoff, about 200 ft above ground level, the engine experienced a reduction of power. The engine was running, but without sufficient power to maintain level flight. He elected to make an off-airport landing that resulted in an impact with vegetation and substantial damage to both wings. The pilot further reported that, the right throttle cable had pulled loose from the carburetor arm on takeoff and the spring pulled the throttle arm to the idle position, which resulted in a partial loss of engine power. According to the pilot, he had reinstalled the carburetor opposite to how it came from the manufacturer. According to the manufacturer, the carburetor is installed with the throttle lever spring positioned in such a manner that if the throttle cable breaks, the throttle lever spring will move to the FULLY OPEN position (full power). There were no other preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N888MJ
- Reported as
- Michael J Robbins Searey
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 1DK462C
- Built
- 2016
- Airframe hours
- 439
- Engine
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · June 3, 2020 · 77 hours before
- Destination
- PAE · Everett, WA
- Airport
- FHR · Friday Harbor Airport
- Equipment
- Electronic primary flight display, ADS-B
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
- 76
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 18, 2020
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 3,964 total · 439 in this make and model · 3,715 as pilot in command · 26 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.99 inHg
- Observed at
- KFHR
- METAR
- METAR KFHR 212353Z AUTO 23005KT 10SM CLR 16/08 A2999 RMK AO2 SLP156 T01610083 10189 20139 56019 TSNO=
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 9, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.0 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.