Anomaly found in Franklin crash investigation
April 11, 2011, 10:36 pm
Administrators currently investigating the March 12 fire and subsequent crash of aerobatics husband and wife team Amanda and Kyle Franklin's plane during the South Padre Air Fiesta have discovered an anomaly with a fuel servo in the aircraft, according to KOTV.
The source reports that the 1940 Waco UPF-7 biplane was powered with a Pratt and Whitney R-985 engine supplied by Tulsa Aircraft Engines. Along with the National Transportation Safety Board, the engine supplier examined the engine that was in the Franklins' aircraft on April 4.
Though the engine was able to pass most of the tests and the fuel pump was found to be in working order, the part of the fuel system that regulates fuel flow into the engine seemed to not be functioning properly, the source says.
"We saw anomalies with the fuel servo," NTSB investigator Aaron Sauer told the source. "It didn't come within specifications on a couple of settings."
This discovery may serve as a hint into the cause of the accident, which sent both Franklins to the hospital and resulted in Amanda receiving third degree burns.
The incident reflects the potential flight hazards aviators may encounter and may serve as a reminder that pilot life insurance is important to have, as fatal accidents remain a possibility.
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