Costruzioni Aeronautiche Tecna P2004 BRAVO accident near Quinton, Virginia, August 18, 2017
On August 18, 2017 at about 3:00 pm local time, a 2008 Costruzioni Aeronautiche Tecna P2004 BRAVO, registered N319TA, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Quinton, Virginia (New Kent County airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor and commercial pilot's inadequate preflight inspection, which resulted in water contamination of the fuel supply, and a total loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 18, 2017 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Quinton, Virginia · New Kent County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Costruzioni Aeronautiche Tecna P2004 BRAVO NO SERIES, built 2008 · all P2004 BRAVOs on the register
- Registration
- N319TA · registry record · serial 125
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor and commercial pilot were conducting an instructional familiarization flight in the light sport airplane; this was the commercial pilots first flight in the airplane under instruction. According to the commercial pilot, they checked the weather and performed a preflight inspection using the checklists. Both fuel tanks were checked and were indicating 1/2 full on the left and slightly more than 1/2 full on the right and no anomalies were noted during the inspection. After departure, they performed several touch-and-go takeoffs and landings and the airplane performed normally but shortly after last takeoff and a climbing left turn to crosswind at 600 ft mean sea level, the engine lost all power and the propeller stopped turning. The instructor took control of the airplane and unsuccessfully attempted a restart; during the restart attempt, the propeller did not move. He performed a forced landing to a field during which the airplane impacted two fences, resulting in the fatal injury to the instructor. Examination of the engine and its components revealed water in the fuel filter, gascolator, fuel pump, and in both carburetors. Additionally, the fuel drained from the right wing tank contained water. Although the No. 2 cylinder bore and piston face exhibited a significant amount of lead build-up, it is likely that the loss of engine power was the result of the extensive water contamination of the fuel system, which should have been detected during the pilots preflight inspection.
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
- Aircraft inspection event during prior to flight
- Fuel contamination during initial climb defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during initial climb
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › (general) › Inadequate inspection
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Inadequate inspection
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Instructor/check pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip engine power section › Damaged/degraded
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,800 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
Pilot-Rated Passenger
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,300 hours in all; 2 in the last 90 days; 4,500 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 18, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,164 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 10, 2017; 38 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912 (piston); 599 hours total
- Operator: New Kent Flight Center LLC
The flight
- Departed from: W96 Quinton VA at 2:30 pm
- Destination: W96 Quinton VA
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,400 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 79°F (26°C)
- Altimeter: 29.89 inHg
- Observation at 2:55 pm from W96, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA17LA280.