Primary finding
Probable cause
A total loss of engine power as a result of fuel contamination.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The pilot reported that, after a night cross-country flight, he overflew his private airport to see if the solar lights were working. Unable to see the lights, he began a climb and initiated a left turn towards an alternate airport. He stated that while in the turn, “the engine started to cut out,” and he initiated the emergency procedures checklist. Unable to restore the engine power, he initiated a forced landing. The airplane impacted several trees during the approach before impacting the ground, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage, empennage, and both wings. During a postaccident examination, sediment was found in fuel that was drained from the fuel tanks and the fuel manifold distributor. The amount of sediment in the distributor likely reduced the fuel flow to the engine, which resulted in a total loss of engine power.
Source record
Factual narrative
On April 11, 2023, about 2113 central daylight time, a Ryan Navion A airplane, N4229K, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident near New Waverly, Texas. The pilot sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot reported that, after a night cross-country flight, he overflew his private airport at 1,500 ft above mean sea level (msl) to see if the solar lights were working. Unable to see the lights, he climbed to 2,000 ft msl and turned left towards Conroe. He stated that while in the turn, “the engine started to cut out,” and he initiated the emergency procedures checklist. Unable to get the engine power restored, he initiated a forced landing. He lowered the landing gear at 500 ft msl and turned on the landing lights, but at 400 ft msl, a tree appeared in front of his right wing. The airplane impacted several trees before impacting the ground, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage, empennage, and both wings. The pilot stated that on the flight before the accident leg, the airplane had about 89.5 gallons of fuel distributed between a main tank (39.5 gallons), tip tanks (40 gallons), and an auxiliary baggage compartment tank (10 gallons). At the conclusion of that flight, about 45 gallons of fuel remained. He stated that before the accident flight, he added 52 additional gallons, which brought the total fuel on board to about 100 gallons. When the airplane was recovered from the wreckage location, the fuel tanks were drained and a small fuel sample was captured in a clear glass jar. After allowing time for any particulates to settle, it was discovered that a dark green sediment was present in the fuel sample. During a postaccident examination, a material consistent with the sediment from the jar was located in the fuel manifold distributor. No other preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures were noted that would have precluded normal operation.