CEN24LA077

Fuel starvation and a total loss of engine power due to an obstructed fuel vapor return path. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s inadvertent aerodynamic stall/spin, which likely increased the severity of the ground impact.

The pilot reported that the engine start, run-up, and takeoff were without incident. However, shortly after takeoff, the engine completely lost power. In his efforts to avoid trees in the glide path, the airplane inadvertently entered an aerodynamic stall and spin. He was able to recover from the spin but unable to arrest the descent before impacting an open field. The airplane came to rest upright with damage to the fuselage, left wing, and empennage. The pilot reported that about three weeks before the accident a similar loss of engine power event occurred after takeoff. In that instance, he was able to land in the level grass area short of the runway without any damage to the airplane. A mechanic examined the airplane and noted that the diffuser was missing from the muffler. A postrecovery examination did not reveal any anomalies with the engine assembly. However, testing and disassembly of the fuel pump identified a piece of debris within the vapor ejector cavity. Further analysis determined that the material was a rubber fragment from a fuel line. The examination did not observe any indication that diffusers were installed in either the left or right mufflers. The fuel line fragment present in the pump likely traveled into a position in which it blocked the vapor return. This blockage then routed any fuel vapor into the fuel inlet line to the engine and resulted in an interruption of fuel flow due to vapor lock. The airplane maintenance records did not reveal a record of any recent work on the fuel pump or fuel lines. The investigation was unable to determine how the rubber fuel line fragment was introduced into the fuel system.

On December 30, 2023, about 1415 central standard time, a Bellanca 17-30A airplane, N678MJ, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Washington, Missouri. The pilot sustained serious injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot reported that the engine start and run-up were normal. Similarly, the takeoff was normal, and the pilot reduced to climb power shortly after lifting off. About 400 ft above ground level, as he began a left turn to crosswind, the pilot realized the engine had lost power. As the pilot tightened the turn to avoid trees, the airplane inadvertently entered an aerodynamic stall and a spin. He was able to recover from the spin but unable to arrest the descent before impacting an open field. The airplane came to rest upright with damage to the fuselage, left wing, and empennage. The pilot reported that about three weeks before the accident a similar loss of engine power event occurred after takeoff. In that instance, he was able to land in the level grass area short of the runway without any damage to the airplane. A mechanic examined the airplane and noted that the diffuser (flame cone) was missing from the muffler. A postrecovery examination did not reveal any anomalies with the core engine assembly. Testing of the throttle and control assembly similarly was unremarkable. However, testing of the fuel pump revealed flow rates that did not meet the manufacturer’s specification. Partial disassembly of the unit identified a piece of debris within the vapor ejector cavity. Analysis of the debris by the NTSB Materials Laboratory determined that the material was similar to nitrile rubber commonly used in the construction of fuel lines. The postrecovery examination noted that the engine was equipped with two mufflers, both of which appeared to be intact and securely installed. Neither muffler was equipped with a diffuser, nor were there brackets normally used to support a diffuser within a muffler housing. There was also no evidence of spot welds commonly used to secure the diffuser supports on the muffler housing. The airplane’s maintenance records did not reveal a record of any recent work on the fuel pump or fuel lines.