Xtremeair XA42 N342AW

Summary

On 1 March 2017 at about 18:15 local time, a Xtremeair XA42 registered N342AW was involved in an accident near West Palm Beach, Florida, 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

1 March 2017 at 18:15

Classification

Accident

Location

West Palm Beach, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

North Palm Beach County Genera (F45)

Coordinates

26.8428, -80.2317

Aircraft

Xtremeair XA42

Registration

N342AW

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

West Palm Beach → West Palm Beach

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA17LA122

Nobody was injured.

A total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination of the engine revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.

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, after takeoff, while the airplane was about 150 ft above ground level, the engine experienced a total loss of power and that he then chose to land straight ahead in a field. The airplane touched down on soft terrain and skidded about 60 ft before coming to rest in the upright position. The firewall and engine mounts were substantially damaged. Examination of the engine revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. During the engine disassembly, fuel was noted in the throttle body; however, no fuel was found in the fuel manifold. In addition, no water was noted in the fuel system. The pilot stated that he washed the airplane the day before the accident, so it is possible that water entered the fuel system and resulted in a total loss of engine power on takeoff. However, since no water was found in the fuel system (the pilot washed the airplane the previous day), the reason for the loss of power could not be determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.