VERO BEACH, FL, USA
N23266
PIPER J3C-65
FLIGHT EXPERIENCED LOSS OF ENGINE POWER WHILE CLIMBING THROUGH 200 FEET SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO RETURN TO THE RUNWAY THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH TREES AND THE GROUND COMING TO REST ADJACENT TO THE RUNWAY. EXAMINATION OF AIRCRAFT RECORDS REVEALED THE WRONG MODEL CARBURETOR FOR THE ENGINE WAS INSTALLED AND THAT THE ENGINE HAD BEEN OPERATING WITH A RICH MIXTURE DUE TO A CARBURETOR PROBLEM. WORK HAD BEEN PERFORMED ON THE CARBURETOR TO CORRECT THE RICH MIXTURE. EXAMINATION OF THE CARBURETOR AFTER THE ACCIDENT REVEALED THE MIXTURE CONTROL ARM WAS WIRED AT THE 40 TO 50 PERCENT OF TRAVEL FROM LEAN TO RICH AND THAT THE FUEL SHUTOFF NEEDLE VALVE WAS WORN EXCESSIVELY CAUSING THE NEEDLE VALVE TO NOT SEAT ON OCCASION. NO OTHER EVIDENCE OF ENGINE MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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