Piper PA-28-201T N555WM

Summary

On 19 December 2017 at about 17:45 local time, a Piper PA-28-201T registered N555WM was involved in an accident near Versailles, Missouri, 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 December 2017 at 17:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Versailles, Missouri, United States

Nearest airport

Roy Otten Memorial Airfield (3VS)

Coordinates

38.4283, -92.8753

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-201T

Registration

N555WM

Category

Airplane

Year built

1979

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Versailles → Versailles

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN18LA065

Nobody was injured.

The total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation when the cap fitting came off the inlet tee fitting on the throttle body/fuel metering unit.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot was going to perform a local flight for the first time after an overhauled engine was installed on the airplane. During engine ground operations, no leaks were noted, and the engine operated normally. After takeoff, the pilot flew the airplane around the airport traffic pattern and accomplished a touch-and-go landing. During the climbout, at 400 to 500 ft above ground level, the engine lost total power. The pilot conducted a forced landing to a field. During the landing roll, the airplane's left wing struck a metal fence post, which resulted in substantial damage to the airplane. A postaccident examination revealed that the inlet tee fitting on the throttle body/fuel metering unit was missing a cap fitting, which was subsequently found between the Nos. 3 and 5 cylinders. After the cap fitting was reinstalled, the engine was restarted and ran normally. The mechanic who installed the overhauled engine stated that the cap fitting was in its proper place during the installation of the engine and that he had not disturbed the cap fitting during the maintenance that was performed before the maintenance check flight. The repair station's quality control manager reported that an inspector checked all of the engine fittings to verify that they were secure. During the engine test run, the tee fitting was not disturbed because it was not used to attach the gauge for the fuel system checks, and the engine met all performance objectives of the test run. The engine experienced a total loss of power due to fuel starvation when the cap fitting came off the inlet tee fitting on the throttle body/fuel metering unit. However, the available evidence was not sufficient to determine how the cap fitting became loose and displaced from its installed location.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.