# Accident 19971017043499A: Cessna 152, Quincy, IL, October 17, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 17, 1997, 17:20 local time
- Place: Quincy, IL
- Airport: Quincy Municipal Baldwin Field
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Sfl Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 39.9294° N, 91.3800° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.9294&lon=-91.3800&mi=10
- Aircraft: N68299, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N68299-1998-03-19) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 152 (registry code 2071835, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-152) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 152
- Reported engine: LYC O235L2C
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 542 total, 240 in this make and model, 137 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI98LA079](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI98LA079) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19971017043499A

## Narrative

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

CFI TURNED FUEL OFF TO SIMULATE ENGINE OUT. UNALBE RESTART. NOSED OVER IN PLOWED FIELD LANDING. (.4)THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI) SENT THE STUDENT PILOT ON A SOLO FLIGHT AFTER HAVING FLOWN WITH HER EARLIER IN THE DAY. THE CFI SAID THE STUDENT DEPARTED WITH 20 GALLONS OF FUEL ABOARD THE AIRPLANE. THE STUDENT RETURNED ABOUT 1 HOUR LATER. THE CFI SAID HE WENT FLYING WITH THE STUDENT TO CHECK HER PROGRESS. DURING THIS FLIGHT, THE CFI MOVED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO THE 'OFF' POSITION TO SIMULATE AN ENGINE FAILURE. ACCORDING TO THE CFI, THE STUDENT PERFORMED THE EMERGENCY ENGINE STARTING PROCEDURES, AND THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS RETURNED TO THE 'ON' POSITION. THE CFI SAID HIS ATTEMPTS TO RESTART THE ENGINE WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. HE SAID HE MADE A FORCED LANDING IN THE BEST FIELD AVAILABLE, WHICH WAS BOTTOM LAND THAT HAD BEEN DISKED (OR PLOWED). DURING THE LANDING, THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER AND WAS EXTENSIVELY DAMAGED. THE ACCIDENT WAS REPORTED ABOUT 2 MONTHS AFTER IT OCCURRED. THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT AVAILABLE FOR EXAMINATION, AND NO REASON WAS FOUND TO EXPLAIN WHY AN IN-FLIGHT RESTART OF THE ENGINE WAS NOT ATTAINED.                                                                                           (-23) THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND, A CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, AND A STUDENT PILOT DEPARTED QUINCY, IL FOR THE PURPOSE OF CONDUCTING AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT. WHILE MANEUVERING AT APPROXIMATELY 3000 FEET MSL, THE INSTRUCTOR TURNED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO THE OFF POSITION TO SIMULATE AN ENGINE FAILURE. AFTER COMPLETION OF THE SIMULATED EMERGENCY, THE INSTRUCTOR TURNED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO THE ON POSITION.  THE ENGINE FAILED TO RESTART.  THE INSTRUCTOR TOOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE ENGINE BY USING THE AIRCRAFT IGNITION SYSTEM, THE ENGINE AGAIN FAILED TO RESTART.  THE INSTRUCTOR THEN ELECTED TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY OFF AIRPORT LANDING IN A RECENTLY DISKED FARM FIELD. DURING THE LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT NOSED OVER AND CAME TO REST ON ITS BACK.  THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED, HOWEVER THE STUDENT AND THE INSTRUCTOR, THE SOLE OCCUPANTS, WERE UNINJURED.

## 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 CHI98LA079](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI98LA079), Oct 17, 1997: Cessna 152 (N68299), Quincy, IL, destroyed. Probable cause: improper in-flight planning/decision by the flight instructor (CFI), by switching 'OFF' the fuel selector valve of the single-engine airplane (starving the engine of fuel) to 'simulate' an emergency.…

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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