COLUMBIA AIRCRAFT MFG LC41-550FG — Midlothian, TX

What happened

Shortly after takeoff, a witness heard the airplane's engine stall and saw dark smoke emanate from the airplane. The witness observed the airplane turn left and heard sounds similar to the engine attempting to restart as the airplane descended and collided with the ground. Signatures at the accident scene were consistent with an aerodynamic stall prior to impact. The electric fuel boost pump had been impact-damaged and performance at the low flow setting could not be tested. The pump operated within limits at its high flow setting. An examination of the engine revealed dark, black sooting on the spark plugs, indicating a rich fuel setting. In addition, a clamp securing the rubber hose between the left intercooler and aft intercooler induction tubes was found set to a smaller diameter than the combined diameter of the induction tube and rubber hose, which would have reduced the turbocharger's efficiency. No further anomalies were found with the airframe or engine. An autopsy of the pilot noted that "[m]yocarditis may or may not have caused a cardiac event, i.e. arrhythmia, prior to the plane crash." The investigation was unable to determine definitively whether pilot incapacitation occurred; however, the engine failure would not be attributed to the pilot’s performance.

An editorial "what led to it / how to avoid it" analysis for this accident is generated separately and will appear here.