Pietenpol AIRCAMPER N34KP

Summary

On 19 July 2023 at about 11:15 local time, a Pietenpol AIRCAMPER registered N34KP was involved in an accident near Gardner, Kansas, United States. One person was 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

19 July 2023 at 11:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Gardner, Kansas, United States

Nearest airport

Gardner Municipal Airport (K34)

Coordinates

38.7980, -94.9412

Aircraft

Pietenpol AIRCAMPER

Registration

N34KP

Category

Airplane

Year built

2000

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Gardner → Brodhead

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN23LA313

1 person had minor injuries.

A loss of engine power due to lead fouling of a spark plug.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that shortly after takeoff, the engine started to run rough. The pilot reversed course back toward the departure airport when the roughness increased and then the engine lost all power. The pilot performed a forced landing to a field and the airplane nosed over, which resulted in substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. An examination of the engine revealed that the No. 3 cylinder spark plug’s firing end contained hard, cinder-like deposits, consistent with lead fouling. When tested, the No. 3 cylinder spark plug did not spark; however, after it was cleaned, the spark plug functioned normally. No other mechanical anomalies with the engine or airframe were noted that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that he used 100LL aviation fuel in the engine. It is likely that the loss of power was due to the lead fouling on the No. 3 cylinder spark plug.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.