Aircraft and Flight Details
The aircraft was a new production airplane manufactured in Romania, then disassembled and shipped in a crate to the United States. This flight was the first following reassembly. Prior to takeoff, the aircraft had been run on the ground for 50 minutes, and a high speed taxi test had been completed.
Accident Events
Shortly after takeoff, a loss of engine power occurred. The pilot landed on the runway, but insufficient runway remained to stop before colliding with a building and a fence at the departure end of the runway.
Powerplant Description
The powerplant was a Russian manufactured 9-cylinder radial engine with a pressure carburetor. The pilot stated that he believed the carburetor had malfunctioned.
Post-Accident Investigation
An FAA airworthiness inspector, assisted by a Russian factory trained technician, examined the aircraft. The carburetor was removed from the engine, and a used/serviceable one was installed in its place. The engine was then started and exercised through the normal power range with no problem noted. The technician stated that disassembly of the carburetor required special tools available only at the factory. The inspector reported that the directions for disassembling the aircraft were used as a checklist/reference for reassembling the aircraft, and that the directions were written only in Russian. The Russian technician commented that '. . . the factory did not do one or two steps on the checklist.'