Van's RV-12 N28BS

Summary

On 26 October 2023 at about 20:30 local time, a Van's RV-12 registered N28BS was involved in an accident near Novato, California, United States. 2 people were 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

26 October 2023 at 20:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Novato, California, United States

Nearest airport

Gnoss Field (DVO)

Coordinates

38.1490, -122.5618

Aircraft

Van's RV-12

Registration

N28BS

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR24LA023

Nobody was injured.

A partial loss of engine power during initial climb for undetermined reasons.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The accident flight was the airplane’s first flight since receiving maintenance that included a condition inspection and the rebuilding of both carburetors. The pilot reported that, following an uneventful engine run-up, he initiated takeoff. During the takeoff roll, the airplane seemed a little “lethargic” and, when the airplane was about 100 ft above ground level, the engine began to run rough and lost partial power. He initiated a 180° turn to the departing runway; however, the airplane was “too high and too fast” to land on runway, and he made a left turn to a nearby road. The airplane landed hard, and the nosewheel landing gear collapsed. Review of the downloaded data from the airplane’s avionics showed that, during the takeoff sequence, the engine rpm decreased from 5,000 rpm to about 3,200 rpm, along with a corresponding decrease in the exhaust gas temperatures for the Nos. 1 and 3 cylinders. At the time of the rpm decrease, the fuel pressure and fuel flow remained within factory specifications. Postaccident examination of the recovered airframe and engine revealed no evidence of a preexisting mechanical anomaly that would have precluded normal operation. The mixture control was found about one turn out from full rich, and a carburetor float bowl vent line was found disconnected from the carburetor for the Nos. 1 and 3 cylinders. A functional test conducted using a similar airplane and engine equipped with a similar fuel mixture system with the float vent line disconnected could not replicate the partial loss of engine power. The test airplane’s engine ran normally, and no change in engine performance was observed with manipulation of the mixture knob from full rich to lean.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.