Yakovlev YAK 52 N132MD

Summary

On 29 April 2017 at about 17:15 local time, a Yakovlev YAK 52 registered N132MD was involved in an accident near Porterville, California, United States. 2 people were on board and one 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

29 April 2017 at 17:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Porterville, California, United States

Nearest airport

Porterville Municipal Airport (PTV)

Coordinates

36.0908, -119.1403

Aircraft

Yakovlev YAK 52

Registration

N132MD

Category

Airplane

Year built

1983

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Porterville → Porterville

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR17LA094

1 person had minor injuries.

A partial loss of engine power due to contaminants in the fuel system that decreased the fuel flow, the source of which could not be determined.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airline transport pilot reported that, during a formation flight, the engine started to run rough. Unable to maintain level flight, the pilot detached from the formation to troubleshoot the problem. The pilot noted that there were about 29 gallons of useable fuel onboard and all other indications were normal. The engine continued to lose power, and about 500 ft above the ground, the pilot elected to land in a vineyard. During landing, the airplane touched down, came to an abrupt stop, nosed over, and came to rest inverted. Postaccident engine examination revealed small pieces of fabric in the fuel screen. In addition, some metal shavings and a small piece of metal were found in the fuel intake and carburetor inlet screen. The origins of the metal piece and shavings could not be determined. It is unlikely that the observed debris was enough to clog the fuel system; however, it is possible that there were other, non-observable pieces of debris in the fuel system that could have resulted in decreased fuel flow and the partial loss of engine power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.