Extra Flugzeugproduktions-Und EA 300 N369XT accident near Las Vegas, Nevada

Probable cause

A partial loss of engine power during cruise flight for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination of the engine did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

NTSB analysis

The commercial pilot reported that, while at 3,000 ft above ground level and on a long final to the runway, he advanced the propeller condition lever to full forward and that he then felt a loss of engine power. He checked that the mixture was full rich and that he had the center fuel tank selected. The propeller continued to windmill while he unsuccessfully attempted to restart the engine twice. He decided not to feather the propeller. The pilot realized that the airplane was not going to reach the runway and made a sudden left turn in an attempt to land on a road that paralleled the airport fence line. During the off-field landing, the right wing and landing gear sustained structural damage.

Examination of the airplane revealed that fuel was present in the center and left wing fuel tanks but that the right wing fuel tank was empty. Examination of the propeller governor, engine, and airframe revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. A sound spectrum study of audio recorded by a GoPro camera onboard the airplane verified that, about 1 minute before the accident, the engine rpm began fluctuating and that it then steadily dropped off to about half the normal engine operating rpm by the time of impact.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR15LA034 for the full record.