Event WPR23LA341

Factual narrative

On September 9, 2023, about 1055 Pacific daylight time, a Bellanca 7ECA, N57679, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near El Cajon, California. The flight instructor and the pilot receiving instruction were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. The pilot receiving instruction was flying a visual approach to runway 27L at Gillespie Field Airport (SEE), San Diego/El Cajon California. According to the flight instructor, when the airplane was about 700 ft agl on final approach, the engine suddenly lost total power. The flight instructor stated that he and the pilot receiving instruction initiated emergency procedures, and, when he realized that the engine would not restart, he declared an emergency, took control of the airplane, and chose a flight path to avoid obstacles. During the descent and forced landing, the airplane struck two fences and subsequently came to rest just short of runway 27R. Both wings sustained substantial damage during the landing. The flight instructor and a mechanic recovered the airplane to a hangar. According to the mechanic, he examined the airplane and noted no anomalies or leaks and that the engine controls were appropriately attached. He stated that he started the engine uneventfully and ran it, limiting the engine run to about 10 seconds a low power setting because the propeller was bent. The mechanic reported that no issues were experienced during the engine run. A subsequent investigative examination of the airplane and engine was performed. Engine control continuity was established from the cockpit controls to the engine. The fuel strainer was clear of debris and the fuel tested negative for water contamination. The two-bladed propeller remained attached to the crankshaft propeller flange. One blade tip was bent aft, and the blade exhibited leading edge damage and chordwise markings. The other blade was relatively intact. The spinner was attached and showed impact damage. During an attempted engine run, the engine would not operate continuously or at a high power setting. Fuel continuity was established to the carburetor. The carburetor was subsequently removed for examination, and the examination revealed no anomalies. The carburetor was reattached, and another engine run was accomplished. The engine ran for several minutes at various power settings with no anomalies noted. At 1047, the weather reported at SEE included a temperature of 32°C and a dew point of 14°C. The calculated relative humidity was 33.6%. Review of the carburetor icing probability chart contained in FAA Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin CE-09-35 revealed that the conditions were conductive to the formation of carburetor icing at glide (idle) and cruise power but did not fall within the “serious icing” region of the chart. The pilot receiving instruction stated that the carburetor heat was used intermittently during the approach. The flight instructor provided conflicting information about whether carburetor heat was used, initially reporting to the NTSB duty officer on the day of the accident that he does not normally use carburetor heat during the final approach but subsequently indicating on the NTSB pilot/operator aircraft accident/incident report form that carburetor heat was used. The flight instructor and pilot receiving instruction were on final approach for landing about 700 ft above ground level (agl) when the engine suddenly lost total power. The flight instructor accomplished a forced landing short of the runway, and the airplane struck two fences, resulting in substantial damage to both wings. The flight instructor and mechanic recovered the airplane to a hangar. The mechanic started the engine uneventfully, ran it briefly at a low power setting, and noted no issues. During a second engine run attempt following additional examination of the airplane, the engine would not operate continuously or at a high power setting. Fuel flow was verified to the engine. The carburetor was removed for examination, and the examination revealed no anomalies with the carburetor. The carburetor was subsequently reattached, another engine run was accomplished, and the engine operated for several minutes at various power settings with no anomalies noted. The investigation identified no evidence of preimpact mechanical failure or malfunction that would have precluded normal engine operation. It is possible evidence of an anomaly in the carburetor or engine may have existed but was compromised during the first engine run or during the subsequent removal and examination of the carburetor. Although the airplane was operated in conditions that an FAA carburetor icing probability chart identified as conductive to the formation of carburetor icing at glide and cruise power, the conditions did not fall within the “serious icing” region of the chart, and the pilot receiving instruction reported that the carburetor heat was used intermittently during the approach. Based on the available evidence, the investigation was unable to determine the cause of the loss of engine power. 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).

• — Aircraft-Aircraft power plant-Engine (reciprocating)-(general)-Unknown/Not determined