# Accident 19970722019479A: Cessna 172E, Fitchburg, MA, July 22, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 22, 1997, 15:45 local time
- Place: Fitchburg, MA
- Airport: Fitchburg Municipal Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 42.5538° N, 71.7592° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at FITCHBURG MUNI (FIT), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.5538&lon=-71.7592&mi=10
- Aircraft: N3553S, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N3553S-2014-10-02) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 172E (registry code 2072412, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172e) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental 0-300 series (registry code 17022, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-0-300-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 172E
- Reported engine: CONT O300A
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 325 total, 50 in this make and model, 20 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB NYC97LA150](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC97LA150) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970722019479A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB NYC97LA150](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC97LA150), Jul 22, 1997: Cessna 172E (N3553S), Fitchburg, MA, substantial damage. Probable cause: A loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.

## Other reports on N3553S (1)

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

- [Incident 19850511030729I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19850511030729I), May 11, 1985: Cessna 172E (N3553S), Stow, ME, Minor damage. Pilot failed to compute takeoff performance. Aborted and damaged tire.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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