Flight CTLS N527TS

Summary

On 28 July 2016 at about 13:21 local time, a Flight CTLS registered N527TS was involved in an accident near Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, 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

28 July 2016 at 13:21

Classification

Accident

Location

Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, United States

Nearest airport

Fond du Lac County (FLD)

Coordinates

43.7800, -88.4889

Aircraft

Flight CTLS

Registration

N527TS

Category

Airplane

Year built

2008

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Fond du Lac → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN16FA290

1 person died.

Carburetor contamination following exposure to water in the fuel, which resulted in a carburetor malfunction and a partial loss of engine power. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's loss of airplane control that resulted in a stall.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot departed the airport in the light-sport airplane and made a left turn back toward the airport while still over airport property. The airplane was at a low altitude when it rolled to the left and impacted terrain, consistent with a loss of control following an aerodynamic stall. Witnesses stated that the engine sounded abnormal. One witness reported that the airplane did not climb above treetop height before it rolled into a steep left turn and descended into terrain. An additional witness did not see the accident occur but heard the pilot state on the radio that he was making an immediate return to the airport. The terrain in front of the pilot on departure was commercial properties and parking lots, and was unsuitable for landing. During postaccident examination, contaminants and corrosion were found in both carburetor bowls. The piston slide in the carburetor for the Nos. 2 and 4 cylinders was found stuck in the idle position in its bore on the carburetor chamber top. A white substance was present on the interior surface of the bore that prevented the piston from sliding up and down within the bore. Testing of the substance determined that it was likely contamination produced by oxidation and corrosion of the aluminum alloy carburetor chamber top because of exposure to water-contaminated fuel. The engine manufacturer had previously issued a Service Instruction (SI) that warned of the possibility of poor performance or engine stoppage due to contaminants in the carburetor float chamber. One of the sources of contaminants identified in the SI was corrosion caused by high water content in fuel. Both carburetors had been inspected in accordance with the SI about 130 flight hours and 19 months before the accident, which was within the SI recommended 200-hour inspection interval. The contaminants found in the carburetors were indicative of the use of fuel with high water content at an undetermined time, most likely after compliance with the SI.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.