Champion 7FC N4878E accident near Hawkinsville, Georgia

Probable cause

The failure of the carburetor fuel line, which resulted in fuel starvation.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that about halfway through the flight the engine started to lose power. Unable to regain sufficient power, the pilot made an emergency landing in a field; the airplane collided with a stump and sustained substantial damage to the fuselage.

Postaccident examination of the engine revealed fuel staining on the inside of the engine cowling due to the carburetor fuel line leaking from the braided outer casing. Examination of the fuel line revealed that it was brittle and cracked on the inside, which prevented fuel from being supplied to the carburetor.Not in docket.

After the fuel line was removed and replaced with a serviceable line, the engine was started and ran continuously with no anomalies noted.

No entries were found in the maintenance logbooks that showing replacement of the fuel line. The last inspection entry in the engine logbook was an annual inspection dated 6 months before the accident, that noted an inspection of the fuel system. An external visual check of the fuel line alone would not have alerted the mechanic to its condition.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA24LA023 for the full record.