Accident Details
On March 1, 2017, at about 1315 eastern standard time, an Xtremeair GMBH XA42, registration N342AW, was substantially damaged during a forced landing after takeoff from North Palm Beach County General Aviation Airport (F45) in West Palm Beach, Florida. The airline transport pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
Aircraft Information
According to Federal Aviation Administration records, the two-place, conventional gear, low-wing airplane was manufactured in 2015 and registered to the pilot. It was powered by a Lycoming AEIO-580 series, 315-horsepower engine. The most recent condition inspection was completed on February 28, 2017, at a total time of 321.5 hours, and the aircraft was found to be in a condition for safe flight.
Examination Findings
Examination by an FAA inspector revealed substantial damage to the firewall and engine mounts during the forced landing. All three propeller blade tips were impact damaged. Engine examination showed crankshaft continuity to the accessory section, and oil was present throughout. Dirt and sand had filled the fuel injection servo during the accident sequence. The servo was disassembled, and fuel was noted in the throttle body; no debris was found in the fuel screen. Spark plugs exhibited corrosion and were light grey in color with normal wear per the Champion Check-a-Plug chart. The fuel manifold was disassembled and contained no fuel; the diaphragm was intact with no anomalies. The engine-driven fuel pump could be rotated by hand. No water was found in the engine, and no mechanical failures or anomalies were identified that would have precluded normal operation before the accident.
Pilot Statement
The pilot reported that he had washed the airplane the day before the accident flight. The accident flight was the first of the day, with 22 gallons of fuel on board. During takeoff, when the airplane reached about 150 feet above ground level, the engine suddenly quit, as if the mixture went to idle cutoff. The pilot attempted to restart the engine without success and elected to land straight ahead in a field. The airplane touched down on soft terrain and skidded about 60 feet before coming to rest upright. The pilot then egressed. When asked about the cause, the pilot stated that water might have entered the air intake and fuel injection servo during washing, resulting in a loss of power on takeoff.