Accident Details
At 1337 eastern daylight time on October 25, 2020, a Grumman AA5 airplane, registration N920JL, was substantially damaged during an accident in Baxley, Georgia. The private pilot sustained minor injuries; the two passengers were not injured. The flight was operated as a personal flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
Pilot Report
The pilot reported performing a preflight inspection with no anomalies. He added 12 gallons of fuel, filling both tanks to the tabs (about 13 gallons each in 19-gallon-capacity tanks). After taxi and engine run-up, he departed from runway 26. At about 500 ft msl, instruments appeared normal. At approximately 600 ft msl, the airplane "didn't feel right" and experienced a "significant loss of power." The pilot lowered the nose but the airplane did not gain speed and began descending. He selected an off-airport landing site in a wooded area of 4- to 8-ft-tall pine trees. The propeller continued to rotate. The aircraft came to rest in the trees.
Aircraft and Engine Examination
A Federal Aviation Administration inspector found substantial damage to both wings. The left wing was fractured near the root and bent downward at mid span; the right wing had leading edge damage near the tip and also bent downward. Fuel was present in both tanks, with the left tank breached and leaking. The fuel selector was in the left position; throttle nearly full forward; mixture full rich; carburetor heat off; primer in and locked. The engine was partially separated from the firewall. Engine continuity was confirmed by hand rotation. All valve push rods and rocker arms were undamaged. The vacuum pump rotated. Oil was present around the base of cylinder No. 2. A cold compression test showed some leakage on one cylinder. Spark plugs exhibited normal wear; both magnetos produced spark. The induction air filter contained some debris but was unobstructed. Fuel from the boost pump filter contained blue fuel and sediment. The fuel pump power wire was broken due to impact; the pump operated when external power was applied. The engine-driven fuel pump actuating rod moved when propeller turned; the pump discharged fuel when manually operated.
Fuel and Carburetor System
The throttle and mixture controls were secure. The carburetor throttle and mixture levers moved freely. The accelerator pump sprayed fuel. The carburetor inlet screen was clear. The carburetor bowl was about 1/8 full of fuel; floats intact; inlet needle valve functioned.
Exhaust System
The carburetor heat hose flange on the muff exhibited burn through and cracking. After removing the heat muff, a 1/8-inch hole was found in the exhaust riser with cracks emanating. Soot was present inside the carburetor muff, heat hose, air box (both sides of butterfly valve), and carburetor throat and venturi.
Fuel Sample
A fuel sample from the Baxley Municipal Airport fuel farm was blue, with no debris or water.
Maintenance History
The engine was last overhauled in August 1999, about 594 hours before the accident. The air filter element was replaced on May 12, 2020, about 196 hours before the accident. A 100-hour inspection was completed on August 2, 2020 (about 107 hours before the accident) during which the carburetor was replaced. An annual inspection was completed on October 22, 2020 (about 3 hours before the accident) with spark plugs cleaned, gapped, and rotated, and exhaust and induction systems checked.
Pilot Experience
The pilot's logbook showed a flight review completed on July 3, 2020, of 1.1 hours in the accident airplane. No additional flight experience in the same make/model was recorded.
Weather Conditions
At the time of the accident, the temperature and dewpoint at Bacon County Airport (AMG), 12 nm southeast, were 79°F and 66°F. According to a carburetor icing probability chart, these conditions were conducive to "serious icing at glide power settings."