ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 167639
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| Date: | Sunday 29 June 2014 |
| Time: | 09:17 |
| Type: |  CSA PiperSport |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N957MD |
| MSN: | P1001022 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2010 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 114 hours |
| Engine model: | Rotax 912ULS |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Atlanta Regional Airport-Falcon Field (KFFC), Atlanta, GA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Peachtree City, GA (FFC) |
| Newnan, GA (CCO) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The private pilot, who was aware that the light sport airplane’s engine had not been functioning normally, took off to fly to another airport where an engine-specific mechanic was located. Downloaded avionics data indicated that, during the airplane’s initial climb after takeoff, engine rpm decreased about 14%. Beyond the end of the runway, about 50 ft above ground level, the airplane’s pitch attitude increased to about 19°, while roll increased to about 28°. The airplane exceeded its critical angle of attack and entered an aerodynamic stall, impacting the ground in a nose-low attitude. Due to his injuries, the pilot could not recall the accident sequence of events or his actions after takeoff.
Subsequent examination of the engine revealed that the spark plugs were mostly black in color and some were encrusted with debris. It is likely that, during the takeoff, a fouled spark plug did not provide adequate voltage to the firing tip, and a cylinder did not fire properly. Fouled spark plugs are consistent with a very rich fuel mixture; however, the reason for the rich mixture could not be determined.
Probable Cause: The pilot’s use of excessive pitch and roll following a partial loss of engine power on takeoff, which resulted in an exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack and a subsequent aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was an excessively rich fuel/air mixture, which resulted in spark plug fouling and the partial loss of engine power, and the pilot’s decision to take off with known engine problems.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
FAA register: http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=957MD
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 29-Jun-2014 16:52 | Geno | Added |
| 29-Jun-2014 16:58 | Geno | Updated [Operator, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
| 29-Jun-2014 19:01 | Geno | Updated [Time, Source] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:28 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 19-Aug-2017 14:55 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Other fatalities, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
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