Spring, TX, USA
N731FL
PITTS S-1T
The pilot reported that, during the initial climbout, the engine did not respond to his throttle movements. The pilot turned the airplane back toward the airport and entered the downwind leg. While on the base leg, the pilot turned off the engine ignition switch and performed a forced landing. Due to a higher-than-anticipated headwind, the pilot misjudged the flight profile, and the airplane touched down short of the runway and impacted instrument landing system structures, which damaged both wings, the fuselage, and the empennage. Postaccident examination revealed the throttle cable was disconnected from the throttle lever arm at the fuel injector/control. A loose washer was found at the bottom of the engine cowling, and the castellated nut and cotter pin required for proper installation of the throttle linkage were not located. During the last annual inspection, the throttle cable had been disconnected to perform maintenance actions. The linkage hardware was likely not secured properly after that maintenance was performed, which resulted in the separation and subsequently the engine did not to respond to the pilot’s inputs during initial climb.
On February 17, 2022, about 1448 central standard time, a Pitt S-1T, N731FL, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident at David Wayne Hooks Memorial Airport (DWH), Spring, Texas. The pilot was seriously injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot reported that, after departure from DWH, he noticed that engine power was not responding to throttle movements. The pilot turned back toward DWH and entered a left downwind leg to runway 35L. During the base turn and after turning off the engine ignition switch, the pilot executed a forced landing. Due to a higher-than-anticipated headwind, the pilot misjudged the flight profile, and the airplane landed before reaching runway 35L. The airplane impacted instrument landing system structures, which substantially damaged both wings, the fuselage, and the empennage. Postaccident examination revealed that the throttle cable was disconnected from the throttle lever arm at the fuel injector/control, and a loose washer was found at the bottom of the engine cowling. Proper installation of the throttle lever included a bolt, two washers, a castellated nut, and a cotter pin. The bolt, castellated nut, and cotter pin were not located. During the airplane’s last annual inspection, the engine fuel nozzles, fuel injector, and flow divider were removed for overhaul and were then reinstalled. During this maintenance, the throttle cable would have been disconnected, and it should have been reconnected once the maintenance was completed. After the annual inspection, no maintenance actions were recorded or reported that would have required the throttle cable to be disconnected.
The failure of maintenance personnel to properly connect the throttle cable, which led to the pilot’s inability to control engine power during the initial climb. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s misjudgment of the headwind during the forced landing, which resulted in the airplane’s touchdown short of the runway and its impact with airport structures.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
Aviation Accidents App
In-Depth Access to Aviation Accident Reports
