ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 196660
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| Date: | Friday 14 July 2017 |
| Time: | 09:32 |
| Type: | Pazmany PL-2 |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N186EJ |
| MSN: | 186 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1979 |
| Engine model: | Lycoming O-320 SERIES |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | El Monte-San Gabriel Valley Airport, CA (EMT/KEMT) -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | El Monte, CA (EMT) |
| El Monte, CA (EMT) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
About 15 minutes after arriving at the airport, the private pilot departed on a local flight. A witness reported that, shortly after takeoff, the engine "sputtered and quit." The airplane appeared to continue climbing straight ahead to an altitude about 200 ft above ground level, then initiated a left turn as if attempting to return to the runway. The airplane reached an approximate 90° angle of bank and the nose dropped before the airplane descended almost vertically to ground contact, consistent with an aerodynamic stall/spin.
Examination of the airframe and engine revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The propeller did not exhibit indications of rotation at the time of impact. The fuel selector was set to the left tank position. Both left and right fuel tanks were breached and devoid of fuel; however, the asphalt surrounding the wreckage was discolored consistent with fuel spillage. The gascolator bowl contained some fuel; however, the carburetor bowl and accelerator pump well were devoid of fuel. Examination of the fuel system revealed no evidence of blockage that would have prevented fuel flow to the engine. The quantity and distribution of fuel on board the airplane at the time of the accident could not be determined; however, the lack of fuel in the carburetor bowl and accelerator pump is consistent with a fuel starvation event. The reason for the fuel starvation could not be determined based on the available information. Following the loss of engine power, the pilot attempted to return to the runway; however, the airplane did not have sufficient altitude to complete the 180° turn. During the turn, the pilot failed to maintain sufficient airspeed, which resulted in the airplane exceeding its critical angle of attack and entering an aerodynamic stall and spin.
Probable Cause: A total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation for reasons that could not be determined based on the available evidence. Also causal was the pilot's decision to return to the runway following the loss of engine power, and his failure to maintain airspeed during the turn, which resulted in the airplane exceeding its critical angle of attack and experiencing an aerodynamic stall/spin.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
FAA register: http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=N186EJ
Location
Images:
Photo: NTSB
Media:
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 14-Jul-2017 17:20 | gerard57 | Added |
| 14-Jul-2017 17:23 | harro | Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Operator, Location, Source, Narrative] |
| 14-Jul-2017 23:06 | Geno | Updated [Time, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 14-Jul-2017 23:07 | Geno | Updated [Departure airport] |
| 15-Jul-2017 22:14 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Embed code] |
| 16-Jul-2017 19:42 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Embed code] |
| 15-Mar-2018 20:14 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Registration, Operator, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Damage, Narrative] |
| 16-Mar-2018 16:37 | harro | Updated [Source, Embed code, Narrative, Photo, ] |
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