SKY RAIDER N65692 accident near Bethel, Ohio

Probable cause

The pilot's inadvertent aerodynamic stall while maneuvering after a loss of engine power during initial climb. Contributing to the accident was the total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined because the investigation could not determine during postaccident examination whether any anomalies existed prior to the accident.

NTSB analysis

The pilot departed from a private airstrip that was located on a farm and was bordered by 50-foot-tall trees. He stated that the engine lost power during the initial climb and before the airplane had sufficient altitude to clear the tree line. In an attempt to avoid the trees, the pilot initiated a left turn with the intention of landing in the farm field. The pilot did not recall any further events related to the accident. The airplane's damage was consistent with a nose-low attitude at impact resulting from an aerodynamic stall while maneuvering after a loss of engine power. A postaccident airframe examination did not reveal any anomalies consistent with a preimpact failure or malfunction. An engine examination revealed that the carburetor had separated from the engine, and the carburetor fuel bowl had separated from the carburetor housing. The carburetor fuel bowl retaining spring clip was dislodged from one of the housing casting holes. Because the carburetor was separated from the engine and the retaining clip was dislodged from the housing casting holes, the investigation was unable to determine whether the carburetor bowl retaining clip was fully engaged before impact. No other anomalies were identified with respect to the engine.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN14LA445 for the full record.