Taylor J-2 N16667

Summary

On 20 June 2014 at about 20:25 local time, a Taylor J-2 registered N16667 was involved in an accident near Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

20 June 2014 at 20:25

Classification

Accident

Location

Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, United States

Nearest airport

William T. Piper Memorial (LHV)

Coordinates

41.1347, -77.4200

Aircraft

Taylor J-2

Registration

N16667

Category

Airplane

Year built

1936

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Lock Haven → Lock Haven

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA14LA308

Nobody was injured.

The airplane owner’s failure to clean and lubricate the engine valve guides and stems, which resulted in a partial loss of engine power during the initial climb due to an exhaust valve failure.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, after departure and while in the traffic pattern, the airplane was operating normally but that the engine then suddenly lost partial power. Due to the airplane's low altitude at the time of the power loss, the pilot decided to land between several houses in a clearing. During the forced landing, the airplane impacted trees. Examination of the engine revealed that the exhaust valve on the No. 1 cylinder remained in the "open" position and would not move when the engine was rotated by hand. Further examination revealed that the exhaust valve was stuck in the valve guide. Although automotive fuel was approved for use in this engine, 100LL aviation fuel was used for the accident flight. According to manufacturer guidance, continued operation with automotive fuel can lead to sticking. However, it could not be determined if automotive fuel had been used during previous flights and resulted in the valve sticking or if the use of the 100LL fuel resulted in the valve sticking. An entry in the engine maintenance records revealed that the valve guides and stems were to be lubricated every 5 hours and cleaned every 10 hours; however, no entry was found in the records indicating that the valve guides and stems had been lubricated since the airplane's most recent inspection about 15 flight hours before the accident. Due to the exhaust valve being stuck, the exhaust valve head separated from its stem during the initial climb, which subsequently resulted in the failure of the exhaust valve's associated cylinder components and the partial loss of engine power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.