Thomas A Siminski ZENITH CH 750 N1750Z

Summary

On 14 August 2015 at about 15:10 local time, a Thomas A Siminski ZENITH CH 750 registered N1750Z, operated by Siminski Thomas A, was involved in an accident near Allentown, Pennsylvania, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

14 August 2015 at 15:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Allentown, Pennsylvania, United States

Nearest airport

Allentown Queen City Muni (XLL)

Coordinates

40.5703, -75.4883

Aircraft

Thomas A Siminski ZENITH CH 750

Registration

N1750Z

Category

Airplane

Year built

2012

Engines

1

Operator

Siminski Thomas A

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Allentown → Allentown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA15LA311

1 person was seriously injured.

A partial loss of engine power due to the No. 1 spark plug being liberated from the cylinder head due to the stripped threads in the cylinder head. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s decision to attempt to return to the airport while at a low altitude.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, after takeoff, the airplane's engine lost partial power about 100 ft above ground level and that he then attempted to return to the airport. The pilot further stated that "the engine would not keep me flying and the airplane just fell into the forest." During the on-scene examination, the No. 1 spark plug was found missing from the cylinder head but still attached to the ignition lead. The threads were stripped out of the cylinder head. It is likely that the No. 1 spark plug was liberated from the cylinder head due to the stripped threads, which led to the partial loss of engine power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.