Accident Details
On November 18, 2024, about 1630 eastern standard time, a Boeing A75N1, registration N55464, sustained substantial damage following a forced landing near Huntington, West Virginia. The private pilot was not injured. The aircraft was being operated as a personal flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
The pilot departed from Robert Newlon Field (I41), Huntington, at approximately 1615. He reported that he and a friend flying a second aircraft of similar make and model planned to fly together locally. Shortly after takeoff, while at an altitude of about 1,800 ft above ground level, the pilot reduced the throttle to allow the other aircraft to catch up. After the engine operated at reduced power for an extended period, it suddenly lost total power. Unable to restart the engine, the pilot executed a forced landing in a railroad yard. During the landing, the empennage struck a tree, forcing the aircraft nose-down into terrain.
Postaccident Examination
Following recovery, an examination of the airframe and engine was conducted. Both upper and lower wings had been removed from the fuselage and were not present during the airframe inspection. The aircraft rested on its lower fuselage and right horizontal stabilizer. The left main landing gear was partially attached; the right main landing gear was separated and lying beside the aircraft. Multiple engine mounts were bent, and the engine was displaced downward. The wooden propeller remained attached, with one blade tip broken and splintered; no rotational signatures were observed.
The fuel tank, mounted above the fuselage between the upper wing structure, had its cap installed, but the cap o-ring was dry and cracked. Automotive fuel was present in both sump locations. The fuel delivery system routed fuel to the shutoff location forward and left of the forward cockpit seat. Minor blue fuel staining was noted at the fuel petcock. From there, the fuel line passed through the engine firewall to a fuel strainer mounted on an engine mount tube, which was displaced upward but undamaged. The strainer contained about one cup of automotive fuel; it was clean internally with no debris. The carburetor, damaged and displaced consistent with impact forces, had its fuel inlet screen examined and found clean. The carburetor was removed and manually operated; the throttle and mixture levers moved without binding. The throttle and mixture cables were attached but bent and broken at connection points forward of the firewall. Visual continuity of throttle, mixture, and carburetor heat cables was established.
The 7-cylinder radial engine appeared visually undamaged, with organic debris pressed into the cooling fins of the bottom-most cylinder. Forward spark plugs had normal electrodes and coloration consistent with normal operation. Magneto timing was within manufacturer specifications. The crankshaft was rotated 720° by hand, and thumb compression was established on all cylinders. Both magnetos produced sparks at all leads when rotated with an electric drill. The engine oil tank contained several quarts of oil, though the gauge could not be read. The remote oil filter was undamaged and contained no contamination or debris.
Engine intake plumbing was undamaged to the filter location; the induction filter was clean. The induction system was impact damaged at the carburetor. The carburetor air balance valve cable was attached but bent, with visual continuity established. The exhaust system was undamaged.
The pilot was present for part of the engine examination. He commented that, absent a catastrophic engine failure, he suspected carburetor icing during the extended reduced power setting. He noted he did not apply carburetor heat before or after the power loss. A review of the carburetor probability chart indicated that atmospheric conditions were conducive to serious icing at glide power at the time of the accident.