NTSB Factual Report

On July 24, 2009, about 1348 eastern daylight time, an American AA-5, N65KS, registered to Checkmoot Enterprises LLC, and operated by a private owner as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight, experienced a loss of engine power during cruise flight near Fort Pierce, Florida. The pilot made a forced landing to a grass area located adjacent to the Fort Pierce / St. Lucie Service Plaza, on the Florida Turnpike. The airplane received substantial damage to the airframe. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The commercial pilot reported minor injuries. The flight originated from St. Lucie County International Airport (FPR), Fort Pierce, Florida, about 45 minutes before the accident.

The pilot stated he had initiated a climb from 1,500 feet mean seal level to 2,500 feet, when he felt a vibration. The engine rpm dropped from 2,400 rpm to 1,800 rpm, and then the engine appeared to be "wind milling." He notified Fort Pierce tower that he was going down and initiated a forced landing to a grassy area without extending the flaps. He switched fuel tanks, turned the boost pump on, checked the mixture to ensure it was full rich, and applied carburetor heat. The airplane touched down, bounced, and collided with a landscaping trailer.

Examination of the crash site by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed the nose landing gear and the engine assembly separated from the airplane after the collision with the trailer. The propeller spinner was crushed and the propeller blades were bent aft and remained attached to the propeller crankshaft flange.

The forward cabin area was intact. The throttle was in the full forward position, the mixture was full rich, and carburetor heat was in the on (aft) position. The fuel boost pump was off. The fuel selector valve was in a neutral position halfway between the left and right tank positions. Eyewitness (Florida Highway Patrol) reports indicate that the selector was moved from the right tank position to this neutral position by the responding fire department, to stop a fuel leak. Continuity of the flight controls was confirmed from the flight controls aft to all flight control surfaces.

The right wing remained attached to the airframe and was damaged along the leading edge. The right main fuel tank was not ruptured. The fuel cap had a tight seal and fuel was present in the fuel tank. The right flap was not extended. The right aileron remained attached to all of its attachment points. The right main landing gear remained attached to the airframe.

The empennage aft of the pilot’s compartment was damaged in the ventral fin area. The vertical fin, rudder, left and right horizontal stabilizers and elevators were not damaged.

The left wing remained attached to the airframe and was damaged along the leading edge. The left main fuel tank was not ruptured. The fuel cap had a tight seal and fuel was present in the fuel tank. The left flap was not extended. The left aileron remained attached to all of its attachment points. The left main landing gear remained attached to the airframe.

Examination of the engine revealed no anomalies. The upper spark plugs were removed. The electrodes had dark gray deposits and exhibited normal wear. The crankshaft was rotated by hand. Valve and drive train continuity was confirmed, and continuity was established with all accessory gears. Suction and compression was obtained. Test for spark was performed and was present on both magnetos.

The engine assembly was transported to an authorized repair facility where it was prepped and mounted in an engine test stand. Temporary repairs were made to sparkplug leads damaged in the accident. The fuel pump inlet was damaged and bypassed during the run. The engine started promptly, oil pressure was good, and both magnetos were operating. The power was not increased above 1500 rpm due to a bent propeller flange. The engine was stabilized and shutdown.

The fuel pump was removed from the engine and disassembled. The aircraft component list revealed the last fuel pump was installed in 1973. The fuel pump is an airframe item and the original engine logbook was not available due to an engine swap. Examination of the fuel pump diaphragms revealed they were very hard and holes were present in the diaphragms.

NTSB Probable Cause

A loss of engine power due to fuel starvation as a result the failure of the engine fuel pump diaphragms during climb.