# Accident 19980509008599A: Cessna 172N, West Palm Beach, FL, May 9, 1998 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: May 9, 1998, 09:43 local time - Place: West Palm Beach, FL - Airport: Palm Beach County Park Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 26.8490° N, 80.0902° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=26.8490&lon=-80.0902&mi=10 - Aircraft: N733LW, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N733LW-1998-07-13) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna 172N (registry code 2072434, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172n) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 172N - Reported engine: LYC O320H2AD - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 940 total, 200 in this make and model, 200 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA98LA153](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA98LA153) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980509008599A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. 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. ## 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 MIA98LA153](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA98LA153), May 9, 1998: Cessna 172N (N733LW), West Palm Beach, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: the dual student's failure to use carburetor heat while circling at a reduced power setting, and the flight instructor's failure to properly supervise the student. ## Other reports on N733LW (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 19960310007719I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19960310007719I), Mar 10, 1996: Cessna 172N (N733LW), Allentown, NJ, Substantial damage. Narrative: aircraft departed the blm airport in VFR conditions. While enroute aircraft began to run rough and a severe vibration occurred in level flight at… 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.