N37888

On April 28, 2022, about 1040 central daylight time, a Superior Culver LFA, N37888, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Syracuse, Kansas. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

The airplane had recently been rebuilt and the engine had been overhauled. The purpose of the flight was to transport the airplane from the maintenance facility to its owner in another state.

Witnesses reported that after takeoff, and about 150 ft above ground level, the engine began to run rough. The pilot made a steep left turn in a nose-high attitude as if he were attempting to return to the runway. The engine continued to run rough as the left wing dropped and the airplane entered a rapid descent before impacting the ground in a nose-low attitude. The airplane was largely consumed by a post-crash fire.

During a postaccident examination, flight control continuity was established to all control surfaces. The magnetos remained attached to the engine and were thermally damaged along with both ignition harnesses. The carburetor sustained impact and thermal damage. The spark plugs were removed and found to be unremarkable. No evidence of a catastrophic engine failure was present.

When the temperature (66°F) and dewpoint (55°F) were plotted on a carburetor icing probability chart, the result was that the airplane was being operated in an area conducive to serious carburetor icing at glide power. (See figure 1)

Figure 1: Carburetor Icing Probability Chart. Reference: Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin CE-09-35