Glasair SPORTSMAN 2+2 N76TG

Summary

On 14 March 2024 at about 18:42 local time, a Glasair SPORTSMAN 2+2 registered N76TG was involved in an accident near Fort Meade, Florida, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

14 March 2024 at 18:42

Classification

Accident

Location

Fort Meade, Florida, United States

Coordinates

27.7515, -81.7972

Aircraft

Glasair SPORTSMAN 2+2

Registration

N76TG

Category

Airplane

Year built

2009

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Lakeland → Vero Beach

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA24LA144

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s inadequate inspection of the airplane following an inflight smoke event, which result in separation of the exhaust pipe and hot exhaust igniting the engine cowling, and a subsequent 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 was attempting to depart but smelled smoke and returned to the airport. After removing the engine cowling and briefly examining the area of the engine, he secured a “scat tube” to an engine mount with a zip tie and then elected to depart on the accident flight. Shortly after departing, smoke began to enter the cockpit and the engine noise changed. Shortly thereafter, the engine lost total power and the pilot performed a forced landing to a field. During the landing, the airplane’s landing gear dug into the ground; the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted and was subsequently consumed by fire. Postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed that the engine’s exhaust pipe was missing and there was evidence of the components in that area having been exposed to extremely high temperatures. Additionally, fire damage was noted on the lower engine cowling, engine fluid lines, carburetor, and other components beneath the engine. Given these findings, it is likely that hot exhaust from the broken/missing exhaust pipe ignited the composite materials of the lower engine cowling, compromising the fluid lines and other induction components beneath the engine, and resulting in the loss of engine power described by the pilot. Given the pilot’s description of having initially smelled smoke, which prompted his initial return to the airport, had he (or other maintenance personnel) conducted a more thorough examination of the airplane, it is possible that the exhaust leak could have been detected before it resulted in an inflight fire and subsequent loss of engine power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.