WAKEFIELD, VA, USA
N80FE
STARDUSTER II
DURING FLT, THE ENG LOST POWER & THE PROPELLER STOPPED. THE PASSENGER RECALLED HEARING A 'TICKING' SOUND FROM THE ENG PRIOR TO THE POWER LOSS. ACCORDING TO THE PLT & THE PASSENGER, THE ACFT STALLED & BEGAN TO SPIN AS THE PLT TRIED TO TURN INTO A BEAN FIELD DURING A FORCED LANDING APPROACH. AN EXAM OF THE ENG REVEALED A HOLE HAD BEEN BURNED THRU THE TOP OF THE #4 CYLINDER NEAR A SPARK PLUG HOLE. THE PISTON TOPS WERE FREE OF CARBON & HAD EVIDENCE OF EXCESSIVE HEAT, WHICH WOULD BE INDICATIVE OF DETONATION. THE #1 PISTON WAS SCUFFED, THERE WAS A SMALL SECTION MISSING FROM THE TOP SIDE OF THE PISTON & THERE WAS A HOLE IN THE PISTON AT THE BOTTOM COMPRESSION RING. A FUEL SAMPLE WAS CHECKED & DID NOT MEET THE SPECIFICATIONS FOR AVIATION GASOLINE, BUT HAD CHARACTERISTICS OF AUTOMOTIVE FUEL. ADDITIONALLY, CHAMPION RHB32E SPARK PLUGS WERE FOUND IN THE ENG, BUT WERE NOT APPROVED IN THE CONTINENTAL IO-360-D.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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