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Atlas / NTSB / WPR15LA052

NTSB CAROL · Event

Event WPR15LA052

2014-12-02 Mesa, Arizona, United States Airport · KFFZ Minor 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The total loss of engine power during takeoff following a touch-and-go landing for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination of the engine did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

Factual narrative

On December 2, 2014, at 1630 mountain standard time, a Nanchang CJ-6A, N4350D, lost engine power and landed hard at Falcon Field Airport, Mesa, Arizona. The airplane was registered to Lang Aviation Support Services, LLC, and was operated as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 local personal flight. The airline transport pilot and single passenger received minor injuries, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The pilot stated that she intended to perform touch-and-goes in the landing pattern. The preflight, run up, and takeoff were all normal. After the first landing, she added power to takeoff, and once there was no usable runway remaining, she raised the landing gear. At 100 feet above ground level, the engine went silent. The pilot picked a clear area to fly towards and lowered the landing gear. Witnesses stated that the airplane landed hard, bounced, landed a second time, impacted a trailer, a large pole, and then came to rest inverted. During the accident sequence the right wing was separated from the fuselage. First responders shut off the fuel and magneto switches. On December 16, 2014, a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector and a certified airframe and power plant mechanic examined the airplane and engine. The engine crankshaft was rotated, and the carburetor, fuel pump, and spark plugs were examined. The fuel pump and carburetor contained fuel. Nothing that would have precluded normal engine operation was identified. The airline transport pilot was performing touch-and-go landings. The preflight, run-up, and takeoff were all normal. The pilot reported that, after the first landing, she added power to take off, and once there was no usable runway remaining, she raised the landing gear. At 100 ft above ground level, the engine went silent. The pilot picked a clear area to fly toward and lowered the landing gear. Witnesses stated that the airplane landed hard, bounced, and then landed again. The airplane subsequently impacted a trailer and a large pole and then came to rest inverted. During the accident sequence, the right wing was separated from the fuselage. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).

  • C Not determined-Not determined-(general)-(general)-Unknown/Not determined - C
  • Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-(general)-Contributed to outcome

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2014_WPR15LA052.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.