Pietenpol AIRCAMPER accident near Gardner, Kansas, July 19, 2023
On July 19, 2023 at about 11:15 am local time, a 2000 Pietenpol AIRCAMPER, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N34KP, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Gardner, Kansas (Gardner Municipal Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power due to lead fouling of a spark plug.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 19, 2023 · about 11:15 am local time · cases in 2023
- Place
- Gardner, Kansas · Gardner Municipal Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Pietenpol AIRCAMPER, built 2000, amateur-built · all AIRCAMPERs on the register
- Registration
- N34KP · registry record · serial 6
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that shortly after takeoff, the engine started to run rough. The pilot reversed course back toward the departure airport when the roughness increased and then the engine lost all power. The pilot performed a forced landing to a field and the airplane nosed over, which resulted in substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. An examination of the engine revealed that the No. 3 cylinder spark plug’s firing end contained hard, cinder-like deposits, consistent with lead fouling. When tested, the No. 3 cylinder spark plug did not spark; however, after it was cleaned, the spark plug functioned normally. No other mechanical anomalies with the engine or airframe were noted that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that he used 100LL aviation fuel in the engine. It is likely that the loss of power was due to the lead fouling on the No. 3 cylinder spark plug.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (partial) during enroute defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during approach
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Ignition system › Spark plugs/igniters › Failure other cases naming the engine
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 780 hours in all; 171 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 734 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 10, 2023
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: rear
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 340.7 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, October 14, 2022; 18.7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,150 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Ford Conversion / (piston); 340 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: K34 Gardner KS at 11:05 am
- Destination: C37 Brodhead WI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 08, 2,399 ft by 36 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 5:59 am from KIXD, 3 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KIXD 191059Z 07006KT 10SM CLR 22/21 A2992 RMK AO2 T02220211
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 5 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photograph 1 – Deformation noted to the fuselage
Photograph 2 – Accident site
Photograph 3 – Deformation noted to the empennage
Photograph 4 – Engine
Photograph 5 – Spark plugsThe NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on October 23, 2024. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120 1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | NTSB Summary of Examinations | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Airframe Logbook | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Engine Logbook | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Witness Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Photo Array | PDF, 6 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 7 | Champion Aviation Service Manual AV6 R | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N34KP on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Pietenpol AIR CAMPER 9 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Pietenpol 12 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Ford Conversion / · as the NTSB recorded it
- Gardner Municipal · nearest airport
- Brodhead Airport · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in Kansas 1,147 since 1982 · 149 in the last ten years
- Kansas 5,760 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN23LA313.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.