North American T28A N9862C

Summary

On 9 August 2019 at about 22:20 local time, a North American T28A registered N9862C was involved in an accident near Ontario, Oregon, United States. 2 people were on board and one died, 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

9 August 2019 at 22:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Ontario, Oregon, United States

Nearest airport

Ontario Muni (ONO)

Coordinates

44.0258, -117.0283

Aircraft

North American T28A

Registration

N9862C

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Ontario → Ontario

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR19FA215

1 person died.

A total loss of engine power due to the improperly adjusted carburetor idle valve.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot and one passenger were conducting a flight to test the landing gear. Following a low pass over the runway, the engine lost total power, and the pilot performed a forced landing to a field, during which he was fatally injured, and the passenger sustained serious injuries. Postaccident examination of the carburetor revealed that, when the throttle arm was placed near the idle position, the internal idle valve was closed, which restricted fuel from flowing through the carburetor at lower power settings and likely resulted in the loss of engine power. It is likely that the pilot reduced the engine power during the low pass to a setting that would have allowed for the idle valve to close completely, thereby restricting the fuel flow. No additional anomalies were noted with the engine or airframe. The airplane had not flown for about 8 years and had undergone maintenance for the previous 10 months before it first flew 6 days before the accident. One of the maintenance items performed included installation of a new carburetor. The mechanic who performed the annual inspection reported that he assisted in adjusting the idle setting on the carburetor. Whether any additional maintenance was performed on the carburetor before the accident flight could not be determined, and the engine logbook was not available for review.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.