The pilot and passenger were departing on a cross-country flight in the Piper PA-28.
Shortly after takeoff, the engine experienced a partial loss of power and the airplane would not climb.
The pilot chose to perform a forced landing to a road in Fort Myers, Florida. The plane hit a building, then the ground, then caught on fire. The passenger died in the crash, while the pilot was seriously injured.
The airplane was operated by a flying club. On two separate occasions before the accident, two different pilots experienced a loss of engine power in the airplane.
About a month before the accident, a pilot experienced a partial loss of engine power shortly after takeoff. He landed the airplane on the remaining runway.
Following that incident, a maintenance inspection revealed no anomalies.
Maintenance personnel flushed both right and left fuel tanks, installed new fuel cap seals, drained the carburetor fuel bowl, cleaned and inspected the fuel filter, and flushed the fuel lines. A subsequent test run of the engine revealed no anomalies.
Another pilot reported that, about two weeks before the accident, while in cruise flight at 8,000′, the engine experienced a total loss of power. He was able to restart the engine at an altitude of 3,000′ and uneventfully performed a precautionary landing. A subsequent maintenance inspection did not reveal any anomalies.
Post-accident examination of the engine did not reveal any pre-impact mechanical malfunctions. Continuity of the crankshaft and camshaft were observed during manual rotation of the engine and the interiors of each cylinder revealed no anomalies.
However, postimpact fire damage precluded a thorough examination of the ignition, fuel, and induction systems, and the reason for the partial loss of engine power could not be determined based on the available information.
Probable cause: A partial loss of engine power during initial climb for reasons that could not be determined because extensive fire damage precluded thorough examination of the engine and its associated systems.
NTSB Identification: ERA17FA210
This June 2017 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
Good comments on what the problem might have been.
The temp and dew point were both 24 deg., but I don’t think it was carb ice., with 2 other loss of power incidents, one in cruise.
The 1999 a/c had 1,800+ hrs on the engine; high time and nearing tbo.
There is a service bulletin on the M/S carb to replace the brass and also the ‘blue’ float, with the new ‘black’ float.
The brass float can rub in the wall of the float chamber and stick, either lean or flood the engine.
The ‘blue’ float absorbed gas and would sink, causing flooding too.
I know this because my Cessna had the brass float and I could see where it was rubbing on the side wall. What I noted was a high float setting due to the needle operating tab having excessive wear.
The carb had 1,400 + hrs since overhaul, so maint. was due.
If the ntsb folks would have looked at the spark plugs, we might know if it was flooding.
The pilot stated that the engine ran smoothly, just with low power, insufficient to maintain altitude.
Very lean mixtures will usually cause the engine to run rough, with 1 or more cylinders not producing power, so not likely the cause..
This is really sad and did not need to happen. I know I’m playing armchair quarterback here, but there is no mention of maintenance checking the fuel pumps or the primer lines for leaks. I have a PA28-180 and I once experienced fuel pressure going to zero during a run-up. I quickly discovered that a leaking check-valve in the electric boost pump was causing fuel to back-up so that the engine driven fuel pump was simply pumping fuel back to the gascolator. Replacing the electric fuel pump solved the problem.
I would never accept a maintenance sign-off that found no anomalies (twice!) after pilots experienced engine power loss. There is no indication of checking ignition are any of the other critical components. Two pilots reported issues that were never solved and the third set of occupants ended up paying a price.
This is sad and scary. We have all experienced the dreaded intermittent issue and we put our trust in our A&P’s to fix them. This is such a difficult situation because if they replaced items and say they can’t reproduce the issue then it’s tough to say no I won’t fly it. I don’t disagree with your suggestions but maybe they did check all that, then what? Sad all around.
Did anyone check the exhaust system? I had a friend lose power on departure in a Cherokee 140 due to a blocked muffler. Fortunately it didn’t quit completely and he was able to nurse it around the pattern for a safe landing.