Accident Velocity XL RG N340XL, Tuesday 27 June 2023
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Date:Tuesday 27 June 2023
Time:10:12 LT
Type:Silhouette image of generic VELO model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Velocity XL RG
Owner/operator:Private
Registration: N340XL
MSN: R3X010
Year of manufacture:2005
Total airframe hrs:528 hours
Engine model:Lycoming IO-540-EXP
Fatalities:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:0
Aircraft damage: Substantial
Category:Accident
Location:near Tahlequah Municipal Airport (TQH/KTQH), Tahlequah, OK -   United States of America
Phase: Approach
Nature:Private
Departure airport:Rush Springs, OK (NA)
Destination airport:Berryville, AR (4M1)
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
The pilot reported that three days before the accident flight, he had a loss of engine power and performed an uneventful forced landing into a field. The airplane was inspected by mechanics after the forced landing; however, they were unable to determine the reason for the loss of engine power. The pilot departed the field three days later. The pilot stated that one hour after departure, while cruising at 10,000 ft above ground level (AGL), the engine began to misfire. He descended to 9,500 ft AGL and tried to troubleshoot the loss of engine power and then the engine quit. During a forced landing the airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage.
The electronic devices removed from the airplane were either damaged and could not be functionally tested or did not reveal any pertinent data. A review of the airframe and engine logbooks did not reveal any discrepancies of uncorrected issues with the airframe or engine.
A postaccident examination of the airframe and fuel-injected engine revealed no mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. The examination did reveal that the fuel cap O-rings were cracked and slightly dry-rotted. According to the airframe manufacturer, the dry-rotted O-rings may have prevented even fuel flow from the fuel tanks due to the fuel caps being non-venting, thus requiring a tight seal for proper fuel flow. However, the pilot reported that the sump tank low fuel light never came on, and there was no evidence of blue staining on top of the wings that would have indicated improperly sealed fuel caps.
Due to impact damage, the engine could not be functionally tested and the fuel system could not be examined in its entirety. The reason for the total power loss was not determined.

Probable Cause: A total loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.

Accident investigation:
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Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: CEN23LA268
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 1 year and 3 months
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB CEN23LA268
FAA register: https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=340XL

https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N340XL/history/20230627/1349Z

Location

Media:

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
28-Jun-2023 03:32 RobertMB Updated
28-Jun-2023 13:07 The Editor Updated
28-Jun-2023 18:58 Captain Adam Updated
04-Jul-2023 07:26 RobertMB Updated
11-Jul-2023 12:16 Captain Adam Updated
27-Oct-2024 20:47 ASN Update Bot Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative, Category, ]

Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description

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