Accident Details
On February 24, 2024, at about 1000 eastern standard time, a Bellanca 17-30A, registration N282SV, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Cape Coral, Florida. The pilot was not injured. The flight was conducted as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 test flight.
The pilot, who also owned the aircraft, reported that the flight was intended to verify the satisfactory completion of recent maintenance. According to the pilot and maintenance log entries, the left magneto and harness were replaced with an electronic magneto and a new harness. Additionally, the engine mounts, the engine-driven fuel pump, and the engine fuel hoses "firewall forward" were replaced. The pilot stated that he personally replaced the fuel lines.
Flight and Emergency Landing
The pilot departed from Pine Shadows Airpark (94FL) in Fort Myers, Florida. Approximately five minutes after becoming airborne, at an altitude of 1,500 feet above mean sea level, the engine lost total power. The pilot adjusted power settings and activated the fuel boost pump, but the engine's power output did not change. He then decided to land in a residential neighborhood. During the approach, the aircraft contacted powerlines before touching down in the grass of a divided highway and coming to rest on the roadway.
Preflight and Fuel Information
The pilot stated that the aircraft carried 84 gallons of fuel at takeoff and had not flown or been refueled since December 2023. A full preflight inspection was performed the night before the accident, during which the fuel tanks were sampled and no contamination was noted. Before takeoff, the pilot completed an engine runup with no problems, and all three fuel gauges indicated "full." The pilot reported no difficulties starting the engine.
Post-Accident Examination
The wreckage was taken to an aircraft salvage facility, where an examination of the airframe and engine was conducted. Fuel was supplied at the fuel pump inlet from an external source using automotive gasoline, with the fuel pump return rerouted to the same external source. The engine would not start, and a fuel leak was observed from the back of the engine. Further inspection revealed fuel leaking from the cooling shroud of the fuel metering throttle body. Upon removing the cooling shroud, the fuel line from the throttle body to the fuel manifold was found to be looser than finger tight. The line was tightened, after which the engine started immediately and idled smoothly. A magneto check was performed, with both magnetos producing an acceptable rpm drop. The throttle was advanced to approximately 2,000 rpm, and the engine ran smoothly before being reduced to idle power to conclude the test.