NTSB Factual Report

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On September 22, 2008, at 1647 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 152, N271RJ, made an off airport forced landing after takeoff from Mc Clellan-Palomar Airport, Carlsbad, California. Rainbow Air Academy, Inc., was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The certificated private pilot and student pilot rated passenger were seriously injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage. The personal flight departed Carlsbad, with a planned destination of Long Beach Airport (Daugherty Field), Long Beach, California. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.

A witnesses located on a golf course adjacent to the departure end of the runway observed the airplane shortly after takeoff. His attention was drawn toward the airplane due to an unusual "underpowered" sound. He observed the airplane yaw to the right, "hesitate," and then begin a descending right turn to the east. The airplane continued the descent toward a rising bluff. Just prior to reaching the bluff, the airplane's nose abruptly dropped, and the airplane collided with steep rising terrain. The witness did not observe any smoke trailing from the airplane during flight.

The pilot had initially departed from Long Beach in the accident airplane earlier in the day.

Prior to the outbound trip the pilot encountered difficulty starting the engine. A mechanic assisted him, and according to the pilot, the mechanic did not find any problems with the airplane. Once the engine was started, it ran "excessively" rough during the magneto check. The pilot resolved the problem by increasing the engine speed to 2,200 rpm, and leaning the fuel mixture for about 1 minute before performing another magneto check.

The pilot stated that the flight to Carlsbad was uneventful. After landing, he taxied to the run-up area and performed the before takeoff checklist. However, during the magneto check the engine ran rougher than he had experienced during the prior engine run-up at Long Beach. He followed the same procedures to resolve the problem, but the engine continued to run rough during the magneto check. He performed the procedures a second time, but ran the engine at 2,200 rpm with the mixture set lean for about 5 minutes. He then performed the magneto check and the engine performed correctly.

After completing the before takeoff checklist, the pilot pulled the fuel mixture control out by approximately 1/2 inch, and kept it at that setting during takeoff. He stated that he did this to prevent the fuel mixture from becoming rich during the initial climb.

The airplane departed from runway 24 and during the initial climb, at an altitude of about 400 feet above ground level, the pilot reported that the airplane began to vibrate. The propeller slowed down and the engine started to lose power. He checked the fuel mixture, carburetor heat, and magneto positions, and then trimmed the airplane for best glide airspeed. He was concerned that the airplane might collide with power transmission lines, so he made a turn to the north. He attempted to restart the engine during the descent, and stated that he may have stalled the airplane prior to impacting the ground.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

Pilot

The 25-year-old pilot held a private pilot certificate for airplane single-engine land, issued July 30, 2008. He held a first-class airman medical certificate issued in March 2007, with no limitations. Review of his pilot logbook revealed that as of September 18, 2008, he had accumulated 163 total hours of flight experience.

Student Pilot Rated Passenger

The student pilot rated passenger held a combined student pilot and first-class airman medical certificate issued in June 2008. Review of his pilot logbook revealed that as of September 20, 2008, he had accumulated 7.5 hours of dual instruction flight experience.

AIRPLANE INFORMATION

The high-wing, single-engine, Cessna 152, was manufactured in 1978. At the time of the accident it had accrued a total time in service of 11,340.9 hours. Review of the airplane maintenance records revealed that an airframe and engine 100-hour inspection was completed on August 28, 2008, 45.5 flight hours prior to the accident.

The Lycoming O-235-L2C, 115-horsepower engine, had accumulated a total time in service of 12,707.5 hours at the time of the accident. The engine had accrued 451.8 flight hours since the most recent major overhaul, which was performed in December 2006.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

An aviation routine weather report for Carlsbad was issued at 1653. It stated: winds from 240 degrees at 6 knots; visibility 10 statute miles; clear skies; temperature 21 degrees Celsius; dew point 14 degrees Celsius; altimeter 29.89 inches of mercury.

WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION

The accident site was located on the southwest facing slope of a bluff, located 1,800 feet northwest of the departure end of runway 24, at a site elevation of 221 feet.

The airplane came to rest facing downhill. The cabin area sustained crush damage from the firewall through to the cabin seats. The tail section remained intact and partially attached by its control cables, and was folded forward at the vertical stabilizer leading edge. Both wings remained partially attached to the fuselage and sustained similar leading edge crush damage beginning 4 feet inboard of the tip, and emanating at a 30-degree angle aft towards the center of the wing tip.

The engine remained partially attached to the firewall, which came to rest on a heading about 15 degrees to the right of the fuselage centerline.

Approximately 10 gallons of clear blue fluid, consistent in appearance and odor with aviation gasoline, was removed from the wing tanks during the airplane recovery.

TESTS AND RESEARCH

The wreckage was recovered to a storage facility for further examination by the Safety Board investigator-in-charge (IIC).

Airframe

The throttle control was observed in the full out position and bent downwards. The carburetor heat was set about 1 inch out, and the fuel mixture control was at the full forward position. The ignition key was set to the left magneto position.

The flap jack screw extension, according to the Cessna representative, corresponded to a zero degrees flap position. The Cessna representative confirmed control continuity for the rudder, aileron, and elevator from the control surfaces through to their respective cabin controls.

All fuel caps were secure and in place at the tank filler necks. Investigators pulled the gascolator cable, and drained about 2.5 ounces of fuel from the gascolator bowl.

Engine

Cylinder head number one sustained damage in the forward area adjacent to the exhaust outlet, and was observed rotated approximately 3 degrees clockwise at the cylinder head flange.

Drive train continuity was confirmed through to the accessory case by rotation of the propeller hub. All valves lifted in the appropriate order and thumb compression was obtained on all cylinders.

The spark plugs were removed and examined. The spark plug electrodes remained mechanically undamaged. The bottom plugs from cylinders number two and four were oil soaked; all other plugs displayed light tan deposits corresponding to normal operation according to the Champion aviation Spark Plugs Check-A-Plug chart AV-27.

The right magneto separated at its fractured mounting flange. The left magneto remained attached at its mounting pad. Magneto timing could not be confirmed due to separation of the starter ring and flywheel at the propeller hub. Rotation of the magnetos by hand produced a spark at each magneto terminal. Examination of the magneto serial numbers revealed that they did not correspond with the serial numbers noted in the engine maintenance logbook.

The carburetor was of the Marvel-Schebler type MA-3PA, part number 10-5267, IC number: 16 and as such was equipped with a blue epoxy float. Residual traces of fuel were observed within the carburetor bowl. A rotational scratch was noted inside the fuel bowl, in the area adjacent to the float shaft cotter pin.

The engine dipstick revealed approximately 4 quarts of oil within the sump.

Investigators removed and disassembled the cylinder heads. The valves appeared free within their guides and did not exhibit any binding. Lateral valve movement within the guides was checked, and according to the Lycoming representative, was within tolerance. The valves were removed and inspected; no unusual metallic transfer marks or carbon deposits were observed.

The piston crown and skirts exhibited black material deposits, which the Lycoming representative stated were excessive for the engines flight hours since overhaul.

Further disassembly and examination of the engine revealed no obvious evidence of pre-mishap mechanical malfunction or failure. A detailed engine examination report is contained in the public docket for this accident.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The engine and airframe maintenance logbooks revealed that on June 20, 2007, the overhauled engine was installed. In addition, repairs were performed, including the replacement of the firewall and lower skin assembly, engine mount, nose gear strut, and steering mechanism.

Review of NTSB records did not reveal any reports of the airplane being involved in an accident while registered as N271RJ. Records revealed that the last accident occurred in 1990, when the airplane was registered as N68271.

Review of the before takeoff checklist located onboard the airplane, and the checklist located within the Cessna 152 Pilot Operating Handbook, revealed that for takeoff, the fuel mixture should be set to the full rich position.

NTSB Probable Cause

The loss of engine power during takeoff for undetermined reasons.