Jabiru Usa Sport Aircraft J250-SP N236X accident near Fort Pierce, Florida

Probable cause

A total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined based on available information.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that while in cruise flight, the engine ran rough then smoothed right out. The pilot elected to return to the airport and the engine roughness increased. He applied carburetor heat and cycled the magnetos. When operating on the left magneto the engine stopped, then it started again when the selector was placed back to the BOTH position. The airplane was shaking, and the pilot was unable to maintain altitude so he elected to perform a precautionary landing on a dirt road. The left wing stuck tree branches, and the airplane spun around and came to rest submerged in a canal adjacent to the road.

Postaccident examination of the engine revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Although the weather conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to the accumulation of carburetor icing at glide power, the pilot reported that he used carburetor heat, which would have prevented the accumulation of ice. The reason for the total loss of engine power could not be determined based on available information.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA21LA166 for the full record.