Stinson V77 N50249

Summary

On 24 January 2020 at about 17:56 local time, a Stinson V77 registered N50249 was involved in an accident near Auburn, California, United States. 3 people were on board and 2 died, one was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

24 January 2020 at 17:56

Classification

Accident

Location

Auburn, California, United States

Coordinates

38.9594, -121.0658

Aircraft

Stinson V77

Registration

N50249

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Auburn → Auburn

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR20FA077

2 people died.

A total loss of engine power due to a combination of mechanical engine anomalies. Contributing to the accident was inadequate maintenance that failed to identify the engine anomalies.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot departed on a local flight with two passengers. Several witnesses reported that they heard the airplane’s engine backfiring and sputtering and subsequently heard the engine quit. The surviving passenger, who was seated in the front right seat, stated that the engine lost power and there was nowhere to land. The airplane subsequently impacted heavily wooded terrain about 1 mile from the departure airport. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the No. 7 cylinder intake valve was stuck open. The No. 2 cylinder front spark plug was defective, and the Nos. 2- and 4-cylinders’ ignition wires were frayed, worn, and displayed arcing, which likely led to erratic operation or a lack of ignition in these two cylinders. The culmination of these issues most likely led to the engine running rough, backfiring, and subsequently losing total power. An annual inspection was accomplished on the airframe and engine about 2 months before the accident. General maintenance practices and the inspection should have identified the anomalies that were found during the postaccident engine examination.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.