SPORTSTER B NC13776 accident near Eagles Mere, Pennsylvania

Probable cause

The total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

NTSB analysis

The private pilot reported that the airplane had undergone a complete restoration and had been flown for about 8 hours in the 9 months before the accident. He added that, about 1 week before the accident, the airplane experienced a loss of engine power on takeoff but that he was able to land the airplane without incident. A carburetor anomaly was found that appeared to have produced an overly rich mixture and was subsequently corrected.

On the day of the accident, an engine run was performed to verify that there were no operational issues. The pilot subsequently took off for the local personal flight, climbed the airplane to 50 ft above the runway, and then landed uneventfully. He then took off again, and when the airplane climbed to about 150 ft above the runway, the engine stopped, and the pilot then performed an off-airport forced landing. During the landing, the fuel tank ruptured, and the engine broke away from the fuselage. Subsequent examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

The weather conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to the formation of serious carburetor icing at glide power. The airplane had carburetor heat, but the pilot reported that he did not use it in flight or on the ground. Although the formation of carburetor icing was highly unlikely under a full-power takeoff, it could have formed during the low-power taxi and then broken off or melted due to the added engine heat from the higher takeoff power. However, with no substantive evidence that carburetor ice had formed, the reason for the loss of power could not be determined.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA15LA279 for the full record.