Tecnam P2002 SIERRA accident near Watsonville, California, June 30, 2012
On June 30, 2012 at about 8:00 pm local time, a 2009 Tecnam P2002 SIERRA, registered N308TA, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Watsonville, California (Watsonville Municipal Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A partial loss of engine power during initial climb due to the blockage of the carburetor’s main jet by deteriorated float material. Contributing to the accident was an inadequate maintenance inspection by maintenance personnel.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 30, 2012 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Watsonville, California · Watsonville Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Tecnam P2002 SIERRA, built 2009
- Registration
- N308TA · registry record · serial 428
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the initial climb, the airplane's engine started to vibrate violently and lost significant power. The flight instructor performed an emergency descent and landing to an open field. Postaccident examination of the engine's dual carburetors found that 30 to 50 percent of the No. 2 main carburetor's left main carburetor jet was blocked by foreign material. The float inside the carburetor float chamber showed signs of flaking on the corner edges; the material was consistent with that found in the carburetor jet. Engine test runs conducted with the main jet reduced to about 50 percent of its original size revealed that the blockage resulted in the partial loss of engine power, indicating that the accident engine's power loss directly resulted from the blockage of the left carburetor's main jet. Manufacturer Service Instruction 912-021 states that the engine's carburetors are to be removed and inspected every 200 hours due to several carburetors previously being found with contamination in the float chamber. The instruction warns that such contamination could possibly cause a partial or complete blockage of the idle or main jet or other ducts vital for operation and lead to poor performance or stoppage of the engine. Maintenance records revealed that the required 200-hour carburetor removal and inspection had been completed 2 days before the accident. During the inspection, maintenance personnel should have seen and replaced the visibly deteriorated carburetor float, removed the carburetor main jet, and blown air through the jet channels with compressed air to ensure that the passage was clear, which most likely would have prevented the accident.
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
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during initial climb defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip engine power section › Malfunction
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Scheduled/routine maintenance › Maintenance personnel
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine fuel and control › Fuel control/carburetor › Not specified
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,080 hours in all; 205 in this make and model; 230 in the last 90 days; 90 in the last 30 days; 3,930 as pilot in command; 3,330 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 22, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,044 hours in all; 0.1 in this make and model; 967 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 30, 2010
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 809 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 28, 2012; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912ULS (piston); 809 hours total
- Operator: Ocean Air Flying Services
The flight
- Departed from: WVI Watsonville CA at 8:00 pm
- Destination: WVI Watsonville CA
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from WVI, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
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.
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 never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.