Accident Summary
On September 9, 2023, at about 1055 Pacific daylight time, a Bellanca 7ECA, registration N57679, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near El Cajon, California. The aircraft was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. The flight instructor and the pilot receiving instruction were not injured.
The pilot receiving instruction was flying a visual approach to runway 27L at Gillespie Field Airport (SEE). According to the flight instructor, when the airplane was about 700 feet above ground level on final approach, the engine suddenly lost total power. Both pilots initiated emergency procedures. When the instructor realized the engine would not restart, he declared an emergency, took control of the airplane, and chose a flight path to avoid obstacles. During the descent and forced landing, the airplane struck two fences and came to rest just short of runway 27R. Both wings sustained substantial damage.
Post-Accident Examination
The flight instructor and a mechanic recovered the airplane to a hangar. The mechanic examined the airplane and noted no anomalies or leaks; the engine controls were appropriately attached. He started the engine and ran it for about ten seconds at a low power setting because the propeller was bent. No issues were experienced during that run.
A subsequent investigative examination established engine control continuity from the cockpit to the engine. The fuel strainer was clear of debris, and the fuel tested negative for water contamination. The two-bladed propeller remained attached; one blade tip was bent aft with leading edge damage and chordwise markings, while the other blade was relatively intact. The spinner was attached and showed impact damage.
During an attempted engine run, the engine would not operate continuously or at a high power setting. Fuel continuity was established to the carburetor. The carburetor was removed and examined, revealing no anomalies. After reattachment, another engine run was accomplished; the engine ran for several minutes at various power settings with no anomalies noted.
Weather Conditions
At 1047, the weather reported at SEE included a temperature of 32°C and a dew point of 14°C, with a calculated relative humidity of 33.6%. Review of the carburetor icing probability chart from FAA Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin CE-09-35 indicated that the conditions were conducive to the formation of carburetor icing at glide (idle) and cruise power but did not fall within the “serious icing” region of the chart.
Carburetor Heat Usage
The pilot receiving instruction reported that carburetor heat was used intermittently during the approach. The flight instructor provided conflicting information: initially, he reported to the NTSB duty officer on the day of the accident that he does not normally use carburetor heat during final approach, but subsequently indicated on the NTSB pilot/operator aircraft accident/incident report form that carburetor heat was used.