Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3 N44848

Summary

On 26 October 2008 at about 19:30 local time, a Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3 registered N44848 was involved in an accident near Rialto, California, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

26 October 2008 at 19:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Rialto, California, United States

Nearest airport

Rialto Municipal (L67)

Coordinates

34.1261, -117.4164

Aircraft

Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3

Registration

N44848

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Rialto → Riverside

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR09LA025

Nobody was injured.

A total loss of engine power during initial climb due to an interruption in fuel flow through an improperly assembled carburetor.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot performed a preflight inspection of the company airplane in preparation for a local area round-robin flight. After all systems appeared to function normally, the pilot took off and flew to his first intended landing site. Then, the pilot took off for the return flight. According to the pilot, during the ensuing takeoff, the "engine power output and acceleration were normal." However, upon climbing about 150 feet above the runway, "the engine smoothly lost power....The power loss felt like the throttle lever [was] being smoothly closed from takeoff power to idle. There was no engine roughness, vibration, or perceived reduced power output preceding the loss of power, and no backfiring or sputtering [was] associated with the power loss." The pilot made a forced landing in an open field ahead of the airplane. The airplane collided with vegetation during the landing rollout. A teardown examination of the airplane's carburetor was performed, and internal anomalies were found regarding its assembly. The main fuel jets were found too small for the engine application, and the mixture shaft was improperly keyed and/or out of alignment with its respective track. This anomaly likely resulted in unreliable mixture settings and an interruption of fuel flow to the engine.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.