Shell John SUPER SIX N426KS

Summary

On 6 February 2017 at about 21:15 local time, a Shell John SUPER SIX registered N426KS was involved in an accident near Morganton, North 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

6 February 2017 at 21:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Morganton, North Carolina, United States

Nearest airport

Silver Creek (NC52)

Coordinates

35.7258, -81.7467

Aircraft

Shell John SUPER SIX

Registration

N426KS

Category

Airplane

Year built

2010

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Morganton → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA17LA102

1 person was seriously injured.

A loss of engine power and impact with trees and terrain for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot, who was the owner of the experimental airplane that was equipped with a vintage radial engine, decided to take the airplane around the airport traffic pattern. He recalled that he conducted a preflight inspection and remembered a portion of the takeoff, but did not recall the events of the accident. A witness reported that the engine was “sputtering” before the airplane impacted trees about 3,500 ft from the departure end of the runway; a postimpact fire ensued. The propeller exhibited little rotational damage, consistent with low or no engine power at the time of impact. Given these signatures and the witness description of the engine “sputtering,” it is likely that the engine lost either partial or total power. A small amount of fuel was discovered in the fuel sump; however, the total fuel onboard the airplane at the time of the accident could not be determined. The engine sustained impact and postimpact fire damage. Subsequent examination of the additional systems, specifically the fuel system, was inconclusive due to the severe impact and postimpact fire damage; therefore, the reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined based on the available information.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.