Aeropro Cz A220 N151J

Summary

On 19 July 2016 at about 18:00 local time, a Aeropro Cz A220 registered N151J was involved in an accident near McCarthy, Alaska, 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

19 July 2016 at 18:00

Classification

Accident

Location

McCarthy, Alaska, United States

Nearest airport

McCarthy (15Z)

Coordinates

61.4286, -142.9250

Aircraft

Aeropro Cz A220

Registration

N151J

Category

Airplane

Year built

2013

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

McCarthy → Wasilla

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC16LA047

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the takeoff roll, which resulted in a loss of control and impact with terrain. Contributing to the accident were engine power surges due to the bent carburetor throttle valve lever.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot reported that, during the takeoff roll in the experimental amateur-built light-sport airplane, the engine began surging. He was unable to compensate for the sudden increase in left turning tendency when the engine power increased, and subsequently experienced a loss of control. Video footage of the accident was consistent with the pilot's statement. Examination of the engine, which was equipped with a two-carburetor system, revealed that one carburetor throttle valve lever was bent inward and made contact with the carburetor chamber top. While manipulating the throttle control from inside the cockpit, the throttle valve lever was observed moving only slightly before contacting the carburetor chamber top, which restricted its movement. This resulted in the carburetor being at the idle position during the point of contact. The other carburetor was free of anomalies and operated as designed. During an engine test run with an exemplar engine of the same make and model, the carburetor throttle valve lever was modified to duplicate that found on accident engine. The engine was run at various power settings before applying full power. At full engine power, the carburetor throttle valve lever stuck against the chamber top and the engine ran rough and would not accelerate to maximum rpm. The carburetor throttle valve lever was then manually pushed forward past the point of contact on the carburetor chamber top, resulting in a burst of engine power immediately followed by smooth engine operation at maximum rpm.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.