Boeing A75N1(PT17) N63555

Summary

On 2 March 2016 at about 21:00 local time, a Boeing A75N1(PT17) registered N63555 was involved in an accident near Palm Springs, California, United States. 2 people were on board and one was seriously injured, one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

2 March 2016 at 21:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Palm Springs, California, United States

Nearest airport

Palm Springs International (PSP)

Coordinates

33.8244, -116.5067

Aircraft

Boeing A75N1(PT17)

Registration

N63555

Category

Airplane

Year built

1946

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Palm Springs → Palm Springs

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR16LA078

1 person was seriously injured.

Improper assembly of a fuel hose, which restricted the fuel supply to the carburetor and resulted in a loss of engine power during the initial climb after takeoff.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airline transport pilot reported that, shortly after takeoff on the local sightseeing flight, the engine experienced a partial loss of power about 400 ft above ground level. The pilot initiated a turn back to the airport and subsequently landed hard on the runway, substantially damaging the airplane. During the postaccident engine examination, an obstruction was found in one end of the fuel hose between the gascolator to the carburetor. The firesleeve on the hose was removed, which revealed that the hose entered the fitting at a slight angle that was not visible with the firesleeve in place. To facilitate further examination, the hose was cut close to the obstruction. The inner surface of the hose appeared cut and curled into the hose near the fitting, consistent with the improper assembly of the hose and fitting. It is likely that the curled piece of hose acted as a flapper valve that either restricted or cut off fuel flow to the carburetor. The high demand for fuel during takeoff depleted the supply of fuel in the carburetor and resulted in the loss of power. Although maintenance log entries indicated that the last replacement of the fuel hoses occurred 49 years before the accident, given the condition of the hoses, it is likely that a subsequent replacement was performed but not documented.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.