N655WP

On October 6, 2022, about 1621 eastern daylight time, an experimental, amateur-built Fisher Celebrity airplane, N655WP, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident in Greensboro, North Carolina. The commercial pilot sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

The pilot stated that before his first flight that day he verified that there was 8.5 gallons of fuel in the airplane’s header tank and that no water was present in the fuel system. While taxiing, he noted a brake issue and returned to the hangar. After repairing the issue, he taxied to runway 23R and applied partial and then full power, which was 3,000 rpm.

After takeoff, the pilot stayed in the airport traffic pattern, maintaining full power while climbing to the same altitude as an airplane ahead of him. He was instructed by the tower controller to extend the downwind leg due to other landing traffic. Shortly thereafter, the engine “stumbled slightly.” He reported that he turned the auxiliary fuel pump on and the engine lost total power as if it had run out of fuel. He verified the fuel shutoff valve was fully open, retarded the throttle, and engaged the electric primer two to three times. The engine restarted and operated normally for about 20 to 30 seconds but would not sustain power. He also reported it acted like it was, “starving for fuel.” The pilot realized that the airplane could not reach the runway and while he was maneuvering for a forced landing the right wing impacted a tree, and the airplane to yaw to the right. The airplane descended and impacted the side of a house. The pilot evacuated the airplane and there were no reported ground injuries.

Review of ADS-B flight track data and air traffic control communications information provided by the Federal Aviation Administration revealed that the airplane was cleared for takeoff at 1615, and was cleared to turn right into the traffic pattern about 2 minutes later. About 1618:28 the airplane’s ADS-B position was not received for 13 seconds, while the airplane was established on the downwind leg of the traffic pattern. About 1619, while the airplane was continuing on the downwind leg, a flight track offset about 0.8 miles northwest and parallel to runway 23R, air traffic control advised the pilot that he was following another airplane (a Cessna 172) in the traffic pattern, who was in turn following a small corporate jet. The accident pilot reported those airplanes were in sight about 8 seconds later. About 1620, while the airplane was about 1.5 nautical miles northwest of the runway 23R threshold, air traffic control cleared the pilot to land. The pilot acknowledged the clearance, and then stated, “uh oh.” About this time, the airplane’s ADS-B position was again not received for about 14 seconds. The air traffic controller subsequently attempted to seek clarification from the pilot, but no further communications from the pilot were made.

As part of the airplane recovery, inspection of the airplane’s header fuel tank revealed it contained 3 to 4 gallons of 100 low lead fuel with no water present. A red/orange foreign object was recovered from the tank. The color of the material in the header tank matched the color of the material used to seal the flange of the fuel quantity sending unit to the header tank, but neither were tested.

The pilot, who was also an airframe and powerplant mechanic, reported that he recently replaced the sending unit in the header tank. As part of the replacement, he enlarged the opening, vacuumed out the shavings inside the tank, and then flushed it with water before installing the new sending unit, and later added fuel to the tank.

Postaccident examination of the engine and its systems revealed no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction. Minimal fuel was noted in the engine fuel system components, with the largest amount estimated to be 1 ounce drained from the airframe fuel strainer.

A Go-Pro camera was mounted to the airplane’s left wing and recorded the entire accident flight. The first engine anomaly and eventual propeller stoppage occurred about 3 minutes into the flight. At this point the airplane was on the downwind leg of the airport traffic pattern. The engine subsequently restarted, and the airplane continued on the previously established downwind flight path. About 2 minutes later, as the airplane was flying over a residential and tree-covered area, the airplane began a slight right turn. At this point, the ADS-B data showed that the airplane was about 1.5 nautical miles from the runway threshold and at an altitude of about 1,800 ft msl (or about 1,000 feet agl). About 3 seconds after beginning that turn, the propeller stopped again.

The video showed that after this second propeller stoppage, the airplane continued to bank to the right and the propeller started and stopped 5 additional times, with its rotation lasting only several seconds during each rotation cycle. About 46 seconds after the second propeller stoppage, and immediately before the accident, the camera recorded the airplane being over trees before it began a steep right descending turn, followed by tree contact and ground impact. The ADS-B data showed that during this time, the airplane turned away from a golf course fairway that was nearly directly ahead and toward the runway, which was still nearly 1.5 nautical miles away.