CARSON CITY, NV, USA
N4391P
PIPER PA-23-160
WHILE ON CROSSWIND LEG AFTER T/O, THE PILOT ANNOUNCED HE HAD LOST AN ENGINE AND WAS RETURNING TO LAND. DURING A LEFT TURN BACK TOWARD THE ARPT, THE ACFT ROLLED INVERTED TO THE LEFT AND DESCENDED IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE UNTIL IMPACT. EXAM REVEALED AN EXTRA NEEDLE VALVE LOOSE IN THE LEFT ENG CARBURETOR FLOAT BOWL. ANOTHER NEEDLE VALVE AND SEAT ASSEMBLY WAS CORRECTLY INSTALLED IN THE CARBURETOR. NUMEROUS SMOOTH BRIGHT SPOTS OF WEAR WERE FOUND ON THE BOTTOM SURFACE OF THE GRAINY TEXTURED INTERIOR OF THE FLOAT BOWL. THE AREA AROUND THE FUEL MIXTURE METERING ASSEMBLY PORT WAS POLISHED AND THE NEEDLE VALVE COULD BE INSERTED IN THE PORT. MAINTENANCE RECORDS REVEALED NEW ENGINES HAD BEEN INSTALLED ON 10/30/79. ALTHOUGH RECORDS AND WITNESSES INDICATED POWER PROBLEMS WITH THE LEFT ENGINE, NO RECORDS INDICATED THE CARBURETOR FLOAT BOWL HAD EVER BEEN REMOVED AFTER THE ENGINE HAD INITIALLY BEEN INSTALLED ON THE AIRCRAFT.
LOSS OF POWER ON THE LEFT ENGINE DUE TO A FOREIGN OBJECT WHICH OBSTRUCTED THE FUEL FLOW, AND THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED ABOVE VMC DURING HIS ATTEMPTED RETURN TO THE AIRFIELD. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE LACK OF RECENT FLIGHT TIME BY THE PILOT.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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