Pietenpol AIRCAMPER N899DA

Summary

On 10 August 2019 at about 13:00 local time, a Pietenpol AIRCAMPER registered N899DA was involved in an accident near Newark, Ohio, United States. One person was on board and 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

10 August 2019 at 13:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Newark, Ohio, United States

Nearest airport

Newark-Heath (VTA)

Coordinates

40.0247, -82.4619

Aircraft

Pietenpol AIRCAMPER

Registration

N899DA

Category

Airplane

Year built

2019

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Newark → Newark

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN19LA262

1 person had minor injuries.

The engine’s failure to produce full power for reasons that could not be determined.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Just before takeoff on the first flight in the plans-built airplane, the pilot taxied the airplane and ran the engine to bring it up to operating temperature. After takeoff, the airplane climbed out about 50 mph and the pilot lowered the nose to increase the airspeed to 55 mph. He stated that the airplane seemed to be "behind the power curve" and did not "seem to be producing enough power." Sound from a video of the accident flight showed engine power was consistent throughout the flight.  According to the pilot, about 150 to 200 ft above ground level, the pilot prepared for an off-field landing in a corn field when the wing tips "started to stall" and then the "left wing stalled." The pilot was unable to recover from the stall and the airplane impacted terrain; both wings separated during impact. The pilot stated that it was likely that the timing slipped or that the mixture on the carburetor needed adjustment, but he did not know the reason for the low engine power on takeoff. A review of meteorological data revealed that the temperature and dew point at the time and location of the accident were conducive for serious icing at glide power. While carburetor icing may have built up during the extended ground run, the sound of the engine during the takeoff did not indicate a loss of power. Investigators were not able to determine the reason for the low engine rpm at takeoff because impact damage to the engine precluded functional testing.  

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.