NTSB Accidents

Probable Cause: The improper installation of the fuel line that connected the fuel pump to the four-way distributor, which resulted in fuel starvation when the line became disconnected.

Probable Cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from the water while maneuvering at low altitude.

Probable Cause: A degraded ignition system, which resulted in a total loss of engine power. Contributing to the accident was maintenance personnel’s inadequate inspection of the ignition system.

Probable Cause: The student pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a bounced, hard landing.

Probable Cause: A total loss of engine power as a result of an improperly fabricated fuel-air mixture cable bracket. Contributing was the pilot’s decision to fly the airplane with a known mechanical engine issue, and the presence of another airplane that was back taxiing on the runway while the pilot was attempting to maneuver the airplane for landing.

Probable Cause: The pilot/builder’s modifications of the motorglider’s engine, which resulted in an excessively lean fuel air mixture, preignition, piston failure, and a subsequent total loss of engine power during the initial climb. Contributing to the outcome was the pilot’s failure to maintain airspeed and his exceedance of the motorglider’s critical angle of attack following the loss of engine power, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall/spin at an altitude too low to recover.

Probable Cause: An overstress fracture of the left main landing gear actuator, which resulted in the failure of the left main landing gear to fully extend and lock into place.

Probable Cause: The pilot and mechanic’s failure to identify and completely eliminate the water and debris contamination present in the airplane’s fuel system before embarking on the flight, which resulted in a total loss of engine power.

Probable Cause: The pilot’s improper repair of the oil sump, which resulted in a loss of oil pressure and collision with terrain during a precautionary landing.