History of Flight
On August 9, 2019, about 1620 mountain daylight time, a North American T28A airplane, N9862C, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Ontario, Oregon. The pilot was fatally injured, and the passenger sustained serious injuries. The airplane was operated as a personal flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
The owner reported that the airplane last flew in 2011 and was purchased from his father’s estate auction in 2013. Starting in October 2018, mechanics worked to return the airplane to airworthy condition, including carburetor removal, rebuilding the engine-driven fuel pump and right wing scavenge pump, and installing new spark plugs and a new carburetor. Fueling with 20 to 30 gallons preceded engine runs and taxi tests; after tests, 80 gallons (40 per side) were added.
The first post-maintenance flight occurred on August 3, 2019, lasting about one hour, flown by the accident pilot and passenger. During that flight, the pilot conducted one runway pass, flew to a nearby airport, performed three touch-and-go landings, and one full-stop landing. The landing gear remained pinned down throughout.
The passenger, seated in the aft seat, reported the accident flight aimed to test the landing gear. During preflight, both pilots checked fuel levels, noting they could touch fuel with their fingers. After a normal engine start and warm-up, they taxied for takeoff. Following takeoff, they performed a low pass, a touch-and-go landing, and another low pass. Shortly after the second low pass, the engine lost power, and the pilot initiated a forced landing to an open dirt field. The passenger observed normal fuel mixture and controls on the left console but could not recall the power setting during the low pass.
The owner observed the flight from the airport: after takeoff, the pilot turned 180° back to the airport for a low pass with gear up. Minutes later, a second pass with gear extended, then a third pass about 40 ft above the runway with flaps 10-20° and gear extended. After the pass, the airplane pitched up in a climb out he described as "not terribly aggressive." He estimated total flight duration at 20-25 minutes and did not see the descent or impact.
Personnel Information
The owner stated the pilot had experience in radial engine, tailwheel-equipped airplanes but none in a T-28.
Aircraft Information
Airframe logbooks indicated the most recent annual inspection was completed on August 4, 2019, at a total time of 2,378 hours. No engine logbooks were available. A mechanic who worked on the airplane reported installing the new carburetor and performing a test run that included a magneto check, propeller cycling, and taxi tests, with no leaks or issues. The mechanic who performed the annual inspection stated he inspected work by others, set the carburetor idle adjustment, and used the Title 14 CFR 43 appendix B checklist without a T-28-specific checklist.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane impacted an open field about 0.48 nautical miles west of the departure end of runway 33. The debris path was about 77 ft long oriented on a magnetic heading of about 266°. First identified point of contact was a ground impression of about 1 ft by 2 ft. Along the debris path were left and right main landing gear doors, paint chips, nose landing gear, and right main landing gear. The propeller assembly was adjacent to the main wreckage, which came to rest upright on a heading of about 303°. First responders reported no fuel odor.
Both forward and aft seat controls (including engine controls) remained attached and moved correspondingly. The engine was displaced about 30-40° downward. The propeller assembly and a portion of the gear reduction nose case separated. Before recovery, 3 gallons of fuel were removed from the right wing and 11 gallons from the left wing; no breach in the fuel system was evident. Postaccident engine examination found no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
The carburetor was inspected at Vintage Carburetors, Tehachapi, California, under FAA supervision. On a test bench, it flowed within specifications except at idle, where no fuel flow was obtained. The idle valve was found completely closed with the throttle arm at the idle stop. The company representative stated the idle mixture had been adjusted to fully close the idle valve, which requires a small gap at the idle stop position. Based on this setting, the engine likely would not run below 1,300 to 1,400 rpm. When the throttle arm was moved toward idle until the idle valve was nearly closed, the idle side of the throttle arm was about 3/16 inch from the throttle stop.