Piel CP301 N4120

Summary

On 17 January 2020 at about 20:33 local time, a Piel CP301 registered N4120 was involved in an accident near Paulding, Ohio, United States. One person was on board and 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

17 January 2020 at 20:33

Classification

Accident

Location

Paulding, Ohio, United States

Nearest airport

Charloe (53OH)

Coordinates

41.1361, -84.4417

Aircraft

Piel CP301

Registration

N4120

Category

Airplane

Year built

1980

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Paulding → Paulding

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN20LA063

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane following the loss of engine power. The loss of engine power was the result of fuel starvation due to the degraded fuel tank and fuel contamination.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that after takeoff, about 250 ft above ground level, the engine backfired three times and lost power. He attempted to return to the airport and completed a 180° turn toward the runway. He did not recall any events following that turn. A witness heard the engine pop and sputter and then saw the airplane fall to the ground. The airplane was fragmented into many pieces when it hit the ground. A postaccident examination did not reveal any anomalies with the engine that would have precluded normal operations. Examination of the fuel tank screen contained debris consistent with fiberglass from the fuel tank. It is likely that the fuel tank was degrading and this debris from the fuel tank clogged the fuel tank screen and resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel starvation. The damage to the airplane and the witness statement is consistent with a stall. It is likely that during the turn back toward the runway the pilot did not maintain the proper airspeed and he exceeded the airplane’s critical angle of attack which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.