RAEFORD, NC, USA
N9994A
RIDER-CHARLES AEROSPORT SCAMP
WHILE ESTABLISHED IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN, THE ENGINE QUIT, AND THE HOME BUILT AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH TREES BEFORE IMPACTING THE GROUND IN A NOSE LOW ATTITUDE. THE PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. A PILOT AT THE AIRPORT REPORTED THAT THE ACCIDENT PILOT HAD BEEN WORKING ON THE ENGINE EARLIER IN THE DAY. DURING GROUND MAINTENANCE, THE ENGINE RAN ROUGHLY AT LOW RPM, AND QUIT SEVERAL TIMES DURING TAXI. HE ALSO OBSERVED THE ENGINE QUIT ON LANDING ROLL-OUT FROM A PREVIOUS FLIGHT THAT DAY. ANOTHER WITNESS HAD SEEN BLACK SMOKE TRAILING THE AIRPLANE DURING A PREVIOUS FLIGHT, AND HAD STATED SO TO THE ACCIDENT PILOT. THE PILOT TOLD HIM THAT HE WAS HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE CARBURETOR. INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT ALL SPARK PLUGS WERE HEAVILY SOOTED, AND ONE SPARK PLUG GAP WAS COMPLETELY BRIDGED WITH SOOT DEPOSITS. REPORTEDLY, THERE WAS NO SPRING TENSION IN THE CARBURETOR MIXTURE CONTROL.
THE PILOT'S IMPROPER ADJUSTMENT OF THE ENGINE CARBURETOR, AND HIS OPERATION OF THE AIRCRAFT WITH A KNOWN POWERPLANT DEFICIENCY. FACTORS IN THIS ACCIDENT WERE: THE LACK OF SPRING TENSION FOR THE FUEL MIXTURE, AND THE FOULED CONDITION OF THE ENGINE SPARK PLUGS.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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