SOMERSET, PA, USA
N6652N
Taylorcraft 15A
The flight instructor and the commercial pilot/owner had traveled to Maryland to inspect and pick-up the newly purchased airplane, and fly it back to Michigan. The commercial pilot was not current in the airplane and asked the flight instructor to accompany him and provide flight instruction while en route. As part of the pre-sale agreement, the seller hired a certificated airframe and power plant mechanic to perform an airworthiness inspection of the airplane, which included a compression check and fabric test. The mechanic endorsed the airplane's logbook for Day-VFR flight only. The day before the accident, the flight instructor flew the airplane, and afterwards, queried the seller about its slow climb rate. The seller told the flight instructor that the airplane, "was not a great performer", and a normal climb airspeed was between 60-70 miles per hour (mph), and between 95-100 mph during cruise flight. The flight instructor and pilot departed, and flew to their first intended fueling stop. During the flight, the indicated cruise airspeed was lower than expected. After landing, the airplane was filled with fuel, and prepared for the next leg of the flight. After take-off, the airplane would not climb, and only got to about 200 feet agl before it started to descend. The flight instructor took the control of the airplane and turned it to the left and right to avoid obstacles; however, the airplane struck 40-foot power lines and fell to the ground. Examination of the engine revealed low compression on the #3 cylinder, and no compression on the #5 cylinder. The air filter was found clogged with debris, and when the throttle was placed in the full forward position, the carburetor butterfly valve only opened about 1/3 of the way.
On October 7, 2002, at 1440 eastern daylight time, a Taylorcraft 15A, N6652N, was substantially damaged when it collided with power lines shortly after takeoff from Somerset County Airport (2G9), Somerset, Pennsylvania. The certified flight instructor and the certificated commercial pilot/owner were not injured. No flight plan was filed for the flight, destined for Jack Barstow Airport (3BS), Midland, Michigan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the ferry flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. In a telephone interview, the flight instructor said that he and the pilot had traveled to Maryland to inspect the newly-purchased airplane, and fly it back to Michigan. The commercial pilot was not current in the airplane and had asked the flight instructor to accompany him and provide flight instruction while en route to Michigan. The day before the accident, the flight instructor flew the airplane alone for about 30 minutes. After the flight, he queried the seller about the airplane's slow climb rate, which was about 300-400 feet per minute. The seller told the flight instructor that the airplane, "was not a great performer," and that a normal climb airspeed was between 60-70 miles per hour (mph), and normal cruise speed was between 95-100 mph. The flight instructor also reviewed the airplane's logbooks, and noted that the airplane had not received an annual inspection since 1999. As part of the pre-sale agreement, the seller hired a certificated airframe and power plant mechanic to perform an airworthiness inspection of the airplane, which included a compression check and fabric test. The mechanic endorsed the airplane's logbook for Day-VFR flight only, and a ferry permit was issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for a flight between Fallston, Maryland, and Midland, Michigan, with required fuel stops along the route. The flight instructor and the pilot departed Maryland, and flew to Somerset, which was their first intended fueling stop. The instructor noted that during the flight, the indicated cruise airspeed was about 90 mph, which was lower than expected. After landing, the airplane was fueled with 40 gallons of fuel, which filled the tanks. The flight instructor also noted that during the preparation for takeoff, the tachometer indicated 2,200 rpm during an engine run-up, and both magnetos tested within the published limitations. The commercial pilot made the takeoff from Somerset runway 24, and proceeded to climb out at an indicated airspeed of about 60 mph. The airplane would not climb, and only got about 200 feet above the ground, before it started to descend. The flight instructor then took control of the airplane, and turned it left, then right to avoid trees and a barn. However, during the maneuvering, the airplane struck 40-foot-high power lines, then fell to the ground below. Two FAA inspectors performed an on-scene examination of the airplane. According to one of the inspectors, both propeller blade tips were bent aft, the fuselage was twisted, and both wings were damaged. Examination of the engine revealed low compression on the #3 cylinder, and no compression on the #5 cylinder. The air filter was found "clogged" with debris, and when the throttle was placed in the full forward position, the butterfly valve in the carburetor only opened about 1/3 of the way. The flight instructor held an air transport pilot certificate for airplane multi-engine land, and a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single engine land and sea. He also held a certified flight instructor certificate for multi-engine land, and instrument airplane. The flight instructor reported a total of 16,025 flight hours, of which, 3 hours were in make and model. The pilot/owner held a commercial pilot certificate for airplane single-engine land, multi-engine land, rotorcraft-helicopter, and instrument airplane. He reported a total of 3,809 flight hours. Runway 06/24 at Somerset County Airport was a 4,697-foot-long, 75-foot-wide asphalt runway. Weather at an airport located 19 nautical miles southwest of Somerset, at 1454, included winds from 280 degrees at 11, gusting to 17 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, and scattered clouds at 4,200 feet.
The mechanic's failure to discover several mechanical deficiencies during a pre-buy inspection, which either independently or collectively resulted in a subsequent engine failure. A factor was the power lines in the forced landing area.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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