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19970722019479A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Cessna 172E · Fitchburg, MA · July 22, 1997

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 22, 1997 · 15:45 local
Place
Fitchburg, MA
Airport
Fitchburg Municipal Airport
Phase of flight
Forced/Precautionary Landing
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N3553S
NTSB investigation
NTSBNYC97LA150
Reported as
Cessna 172E
Reported engine
Continental O300A
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
325 total50 in this make and model20 in the last 90 days
N3553SRegistration cancelled Oct 2, 2014 · Cessna 172ES/N 17250753 · Built 1963Airframe modelCessna 172EEngine modelContinental 0-300 seriesReciprocating

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.

Aircraft took off from runway, lost power at 50FT AGL, landed straight ahead, swerved off runway into safety area. (.4)the pilot performed a preflight inspection and observed the fuel tanks were half empty. After an uneventful local flight, the pilot departed for another flight. During the initial climb after takeoff, about 75 feet, the engine stopped. The pilot performed a forced landing, and the airplane came to rest left wing low. Examination of the wreckage revealed 7 gallons of uncontaminated automotive gasoline in the left fuel tank, and no fuel in the right tank. The fuel selector valve was found in the 'both' position, and the left fuel cap was found open. The pilot could not recall if he secured it properly during his preflight inspection. Additionally, the engine was test run satisfactorily using fuel that was drained from the airplane. The airplane's total fuel capacity was 39 gallons, of which 36 was usable. It was last refueled 8 months prior to the accident with 28.2 gallons of automotive gasoline. The airplane had been flown for 3/10 of an hour on a ferry flight for an annual inspection, 4 days prior to the accident, and had accumulated 1.38 hours since the annual inspection. According to the owner's manual, fuel consumption in cruise flight at 75% power at 2,500 feet was 8.5 gallons per hour.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT TOOK OFF FROM RUNWAY, LOST POWER AT 50FT AGL, LANDED STRAIGHT AHEAD, SWERVED OFF RUNWAY INTO SAFETY AREA. (.4)THE PILOT PERFORMED A PREFLIGHT INSPECTION AND OBSERVED THE FUEL TANKS WERE HALF EMPTY. AFTER AN UNEVENTFUL LOCAL FLIGHT, THE PILOT DEPARTED FOR ANOTHER FLIGHT. DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB AFTER TAKEOFF, ABOUT 75 FEET, THE ENGINE STOPPED. THE PILOT PERFORMED A FORCED LANDING, AND THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST LEFT WING LOW. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED 7 GALLONS OF UNCONTAMINATED AUTOMOTIVE GASOLINE IN THE LEFT FUEL TANK, AND NO FUEL IN THE RIGHT TANK. THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE WAS FOUND IN THE 'BOTH' POSITION, AND THE LEFT FUEL CAP WAS FOUND OPEN. THE PILOT COULD NOT RECALL IF HE SECURED IT PROPERLY DURING HIS PREFLIGHT INSPECTION. ADDITIONALLY, THE ENGINE WAS TEST RUN SATISFACTORILY USING FUEL THAT WAS DRAINED FROM THE AIRPLANE. THE AIRPLANE'S TOTAL FUEL CAPACITY WAS 39 GALLONS, OF WHICH 36 WAS USABLE. IT WAS LAST REFUELED 8 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT WITH 28.2 GALLONS OF AUTOMOTIVE GASOLINE. THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN FLOWN FOR 3/10 OF AN HOUR ON A FERRY FLIGHT FOR AN ANNUAL INSPECTION, 4 DAYS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, AND HAD ACCUMULATED 1.38 HOURS SINCE THE ANNUAL INSPECTION. ACCORDING TO THE OWNER'S MANUAL, FUEL CONSUMPTION IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT 75% POWER AT 2,500 FEET WAS 8.5 GALLONS PER HOUR.

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 NYC97LA150Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportFitchburg, MAA loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.Jul 22, 1997 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N3553S · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19850511030729ITo Aborted (Fixed Wing) · Stow, MEPilot failed to compute takeoff performance. Aborted and damaged tire.May 11, 1985 · Minor damage