Allan G Pixley THATCHER CX4 N347CX

Summary

On 16 July 2022 at about 11:35 local time, a Allan G Pixley THATCHER CX4 registered N347CX was involved in an accident near Baker, Florida, 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

16 July 2022 at 11:35

Classification

Accident

Location

Baker, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Skypark Estate Owners Associat (18FD)

Coordinates

30.8548, -86.6750

Aircraft

Allan G Pixley THATCHER CX4

Registration

N347CX

Category

Airplane

Year built

2013

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Baker → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA22LA323

1 person was seriously injured.

The improper engine idle setting, which resulted in a total loss of engine power when the pilot reduced the throttle to idle to initiate a descent.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he had just completed an overhaul of the automotive conversion engine that was installed in the experimental amateur-built airplane. Before the day of the accident, the pilot conducted several engine ground runs. During most of the ground runs, the engine would not run smoothly when at the idle throttle setting; however, on the last ground run, the engine ran smoothly at idle. On the day of the accident, the pilot planned to break in the engine during a flight over the airport. After takeoff, while the airplane was climbing to traffic pattern altitude, the pilot felt something dripping onto his leg and decided to perform a precautionary landing. When he pulled the throttle back to idle to initiate a descent, the engine stopped producing power. Unable to restore power to the engine, he elected to execute a forced landing, during which the left wing impacted a tree. Although the pilot did not run the engine after the accident, his postaccident examination of the engine revealed no anomaly that would have precluded normal operation. The atmospheric conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to carburetor icing at glide power; however, the airplane’s engine was at a climb power setting before the pilot reduced the throttle to idle to initiate the descent. Therefore, it is not likely that the loss of engine power was the result of carburetor ice. Since the pilot had just completed an overhaul of the engine and the engine would not run smoothly at idle during several engine ground runs, it is likely that the engine idle setting was misadjusted, which resulted in the engine losing power when the throttle was reduced to idle.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.