Czech Aircraft Works Spol Sro SPORTCRUISER N243SC

Summary

On 25 January 2010 at about 23:21 local time, a Czech Aircraft Works Spol Sro SPORTCRUISER registered N243SC, operated by John McAleer, was involved in an accident near La Quinta, California, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 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

25 January 2010 at 23:21

Classification

Accident

Location

La Quinta, California, United States

Coordinates

33.7100, -116.2964

Aircraft

Czech Aircraft Works Spol Sro SPORTCRUISER

Registration

N243SC

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

John McAleer

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Palm Springs → Palm Springs

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR10LA119

2 people had minor injuries.

A loss of engine power during cruise flight due to water contamination in the fuel.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot conducted a preflight inspection of the airplane, which included taking samples of fuel from the airframe fuel sump drains. He noted no evidence of water within these fuel samples. While en route to his destination, the pilot decided to switch the fuel supply to come from the left tank rather than the right, in an effort to remedy a slight fuel imbalance. Shortly after changing the tank selection, the engine experienced a total loss of power. Despite multiple attempts, the pilot was unable to restart the engine and initiated a forced landing to a nearby field. The pilot stated that, due to a headwind, he was unable to reach his original intended landing area and decided on a second field, closer to his position. As the airplane approached the field, it stalled and landed hard. During a postaccident examination of the airframe, investigators applied compressed air to both the left and right wing fuel inlet lines and observed a small amount of liquid originating from the engine inlet fuel line at the firewall. The liquid was tested using water finding paste with positive results. No additional anomalies were noted with the airframe that would have precluded normal operation. Examination of the engine revealed that the engine-driven fuel pump contained residual liquid. The liquid was tested using water finding paste with positive results. In addition, the carburetors were examined and disassembled; a white paste-like and flaky substance was noted within both carburetor float bowls. One carburetor float bowl contained about two ounces of a milky white liquid, which tested positive for water. The engine was installed on an engine test stand and run at various rpm settings before being shut off using the mixture control lever. No additional anomalies were noted with the engine that would have precluded normal operation and production of power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.