What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Cicling 600AGL. Engine sputtered and failed. Restart unsuccessful. Landed in grove. Condition right for carb ice. (.4) while circling at 600 feet AGL, awaiting an IFR clearance, the engine sputtered once and continued to run. After receiving the IFR clearance the dual student added power to climb to the assigned altitude and the engine sputtered and lost power. The flight instructor took control and a forced landing was made in a field. After the accident, uncontaminated fuel was found in the airframe and engine fuel systems. The engine was started and operated to full power and no signs of mechanical failure or malfunction. The carburetor icing system operated normally. Icing probability curves showed the aircraft was operating in conditions conducive to serious carburetor icing at glide power and visible carburetor icing at glide and cruise power. (-23) on may 9, 1998, about 0943 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172N, N733LW, registered to an individual, collided wiht trees while making a forced landing following loss of engine power, while on a title 14 CFR part 91 instructional flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time a ND an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed. The aircraft received substantial damage and the commercial-rated flight instructor and private-rated dual student were not injured. The flight originated from north county airport, West Palm Beach, Florida, the same day, about 0930, the flight instructor stated they flew to a point about 10 miles southwest of north county airport after takeoff, and circled at about 600 feet awaiting an instrument flight rules clearance from the FAA West Palm Beach approach control. While circling, the engine suddenly sputtered once and lost all power. The propeller continued to windmill, and attempts to restart the engine were unsuccessful. A forced landing was made in a citrus grove. Operational check of powerplant performed with no discrepancies noted, temp and dew point at the time of accident was conducive to the formation of carburetor ice.
As the FAA filed it
CICLING 600AGL. ENGINE SPUTTERED AND FAILED. RESTART UNSUCCESSFUL. LANDED IN GROVE. CONDITION RIGHT FOR CARB ICE. (.4) WHILE CIRCLING AT 600 FEET AGL, AWAITING AN IFR CLEARANCE, THE ENGINE SPUTTERED ONCE AND CONTINUED TO RUN. AFTER RECEIVING THE IFR CLEARANCE THE DUAL STUDENT ADDED POWER TO CLIMB TO THE ASSIGNED ALTITUDE AND THE ENGINE SPUTTERED AND LOST POWER. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR TOOK CONTROL AND A FORCED LANDING WAS MADE IN A FIELD. AFTER THE ACCIDENT, UNCONTAMINATED FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE AIRFRAME AND ENGINE FUEL SYSTEMS. THE ENGINE WAS STARTED AND OPERATED TO FULL POWER AND NO SIGNS OF MECHANICAL FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION. THE CARBURETOR ICING SYSTEM OPERATED NORMALLY. ICING PROBABILITY CURVES SHOWED THE AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATING IN CONDITIONS CONDUCIVE TO SERIOUS CARBURETOR ICING AT GLIDE POWER AND VISIBLE CARBURETOR ICING AT GLIDE AND CRUISE POWER. (-23) ON MAY 9, 1998, ABOUT 0943 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 172N, N733LW, REGISTERED TO AN INDIVIDUAL, COLLIDED WIHT TREES WHILE MAKING A FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING LOSS OF ENGINE POWER, WHILE ON A TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME A ND AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND THE COMMERCIAL-RATED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND PRIVATE-RATED DUAL STUDENT WERE NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM NORTH COUNTY AIRPORT, WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA, THE SAME DAY, ABOUT 0930, THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR STATED THEY FLEW TO A POINT ABOUT 10 MILES SOUTHWEST OF NORTH COUNTY AIRPORT AFTER TAKEOFF, AND CIRCLED AT ABOUT 600 FEET AWAITING AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES CLEARANCE FROM THE FAA WEST PALM BEACH APPROACH CONTROL. WHILE CIRCLING, THE ENGINE SUDDENLY SPUTTERED ONCE AND LOST ALL POWER. THE PROPELLER CONTINUED TO WINDMILL, AND ATTEMPTS TO RESTART THE ENGINE WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. A FORCED LANDING WAS MADE IN A CITRUS GROVE. OPERATIONAL CHECK OF POWERPLANT PERFORMED WITH NO DISCREPANCIES NOTED, TEMP AND DEW POINT AT THE TIME OF ACCIDENT WAS CONDUCIVE TO THE FORMATION OF CARBURETOR ICE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N733LW · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.