19970116011999A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 152 · Baco Raton, FL · January 16, 1997

Date: January 16, 1997 · 09:20 local
Place: Baco Raton, FL
Airport: Boca Raton Airport
Phase of flight: Forced Landing
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N69219
NTSB investigation: NTSBMIA97LA064
Reported as: Cessna 152
Reported engine: Lycoming O235L2C
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 350 total

N69219Registration cancelled Jun 21, 2012 · Cessna 152S/N 15285350 · Built 1981 Airframe modelCessna 152 Engine modelLycoming 0-235 series4 cycle

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Lost power on final. Landed short in trees. Water in fuel. Leaky fuel cap. Had been left out in rain. (-23) student pilot experienced failure on final to bct rwy 23S after .9 (54 min.) Of flight and landed 1500 ft. short of runway in a landscaped approach area just inside airport outer fence. Pilot sustained broken bone in left hand and minor contusions. Investigation of substantially damaged aircraft revealed water in carburetor and gascalator. No water found in fuel tanks.

As the FAA filed it

LOST POWER ON FINAL. LANDED SHORT IN TREES. WATER IN FUEL. LEAKY FUEL CAP. HAD BEEN LEFT OUT IN RAIN. (-23) STUDENT PILOT EXPERIENCED FAILURE ON FINAL TO BCT RWY 23S AFTER .9 (54 MIN.) OF FLIGHT AND LANDED 1500 FT. SHORT OF RUNWAY IN A LANDSCAPED APPROACH AREA JUST INSIDE AIRPORT OUTER FENCE. PILOT SUSTAINED BROKEN BONE IN LEFT HAND AND MINOR CONTUSIONS. INVESTIGATION OF SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AIRCRAFT REVEALED WATER IN CARBURETOR AND GASCALATOR. NO WATER FOUND IN FUEL TANKS.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB MIA97LA064Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportBoca Raton, FLInadequate inspection of the fuel caps by company maintenance personnel resulting in a cap with a deteriorated seal being allowed to continue in service. This allowed water to leak into the fuel tank which resulted in loss of engine power due to water…Jan 16, 1997 · Substantial damage