Grumman AA1 N15LM

Summary

On 2 May 2022 at about 22:53 local time, a Grumman AA1 registered N15LM was involved in an accident near Seneca, South Carolina, United States. One person was on board and 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

2 May 2022 at 22:53

Classification

Accident

Location

Seneca, South Carolina, United States

Nearest airport

Eagle Ridge Airport (SC24)

Coordinates

34.6680, -82.9196

Aircraft

Grumman AA1

Registration

N15LM

Category

Airplane

Year built

1977

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Cornelia

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA22LA216

1 person was seriously injured.

A dislodged air filter element, which restricted airflow to the carburetor resulting in a loss of engine power.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot had picked up the airplane from a maintenance provider after an annual inspection was completed the previous day. Prior to takeoff, the pilot performed an engine run-up with no anomalies noted, and the engine ran smoothly. Shortly after takeoff, at an altitude of about 250 ft above ground level, the engine lost power and the airplane descended under control into trees. The engine did not “sputter” and the mixture control was set to full rich. The airplane impacted a wooded residential area about ¼ mile from the departure end of the runway and sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and wings. The pilot recalled that the fuel selector was in the LEFT position for the flight. He stated that on previous flights he sometimes had to “fiddle” with the fuel selector when moving it to the LEFT position to ensure that it was in the detent. During the first postaccident examination of the fuel selector, the detent could not be felt and the associated “click” sound could not be heard when moving the selector from the OFF position to the LEFT position. It could be heard and felt when moving from the RIGHT to LEFT position. A lack of feel or click sound of the detent does not necessarily indicate that the fuel valve is not in the proper position, but it is the only means for the pilot to confirm the proper position. A subsequent examination by a mechanic was arranged by the pilot/owner. The mechanic reported that the detent click sound could be heard as the fuel selector was moved to all positions, and fuel flowed through the valve when it was in the detents for the LEFT and RIGHT positions. The exact position of the selector at the time of the accident could not be confirmed, as it was moved to the OFF position after the accident. However, given the pilot’s familiarity with the operation of the fuel selector, it is likely that the fuel selector was correctly positioned in the LEFT detent. The mechanic reported that the engine air filter element was found out of place, wedged between the carburetor heat valve/door and the top of the carburetor heat box. In that position, it prevented the carburetor heat control from moving to the ON position, and likely restricted or obstructed the air path to the carburetor. Given that the engine performed normally during the before takeoff run-up, takeoff roll, and initial climb, it was likely not in that position at those times. Additionally, it is unlikely to have been in that position during the engine-run up, as it would have prevented the application of carburetor heat, which should have been performed as part of the run-up procedure. Thus, it is likely that the air filter element was dislodged from its proper position sometime after takeoff.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.