Accident Overview
The accident airplane was fueled two days prior to the event. Since the last fueling, the airplane had been operated for approximately 2.1 hours before the accident pilot flew it. The pilot flew to another airport, where one of the two passengers deplaned after a 20- to 30-minute uneventful flight, according to that passenger. Returning to the original departure airport, the pilot performed two touch-and-go landings.
Engine Failure and Forced Landing
During the initial climb after the second touch-and-go landing, the pilot advised the controller that the engine had quit and that he was landing on a golf course. The airplane clipped the top of a tree on a fairway, then touched down on the fairway. During the landing roll, the airplane collided with a stand of palm trees, which resulted in a postcrash fire.
Postaccident Examination
Examination of the flight controls revealed no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction. The engine was placed on a test stand with the slightly impact-damaged propeller and impact-damaged carburetor; it operated normally. The carburetor had been previously converted from one part number to another, and an economizer restrictor was installed that was not specified to be installed. Flow testing of the carburetor showed that it flowed within limits at one test point and an average of 6.2 pounds per hour greater than specified at the remaining four test points. Calculations indicated that the engine/propeller rpm at touchdown on the fairway was 872. Postaccident testing of fuel from the facility that last fueled the airplane revealed the fuel was within specification.