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19981214045979A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Cessna 152 · Shelbyville, TN · December 14, 1998

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
December 14, 1998 · 10:00 local
Place
Shelbyville, TN
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N5144B
NTSB investigation
NTSBATL99LA034
Reported as
Cessna 152
Reported engine
Lycoming O235L2C
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Student
Pilot’s flight hours
51 total51 in this make and model39 in the last 90 days
N5144BRegistered now · Cessna 152S/N 15283774 · Built 1979Airframe modelCessna 152Engine modelLycoming 0-235 series4 cycle

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.

(.4) The student pilot reported that, approximately forty-five minutes into the flight, the engine RPM dropped and subsequently quit. Attempts by the student pilot to restore full engine power, failed. The student pilot made an emergency landing in an open field. Examination of the airplane disclosed that the nose gear assembly had sheared off and, that the engine firewall had sustained impact damage. The examination also revealed that a fuel line in the vicinity of the chin cowling had also ruptured and an unknown quantity of fuel was spilled. Approximately a quart of liquid was recovered from the fuel system; 90% of the liquid was clear water. Water was also discovered in the carburetor bowl, and the filter assembly. Reportedly the airplane was refueled about two days before the accident, and subsequent to the refueling, the area experienced severe thunderstorm activity. Security of the fuel caps after the refueling was not confirmed. The pilot did not report checking and securing the fuel caps during the preflight inspection.

As the FAA filed it

(.4) THE STUDENT PILOT REPORTED THAT, APPROXIMATELY FORTY-FIVE MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT, THE ENGINE RPM DROPPED AND SUBSEQUENTLY QUIT. ATTEMPTS BY THE STUDENT PILOT TO RESTORE FULL ENGINE POWER, FAILED. THE STUDENT PILOT MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN AN OPEN FIELD. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE DISCLOSED THAT THE NOSE GEAR ASSEMBLY HAD SHEARED OFF AND, THAT THE ENGINE FIREWALL HAD SUSTAINED IMPACT DAMAGE. THE EXAMINATION ALSO REVEALED THAT A FUEL LINE IN THE VICINITY OF THE CHIN COWLING HAD ALSO RUPTURED AND AN UNKNOWN QUANTITY OF FUEL WAS SPILLED. APPROXIMATELY A QUART OF LIQUID WAS RECOVERED FROM THE FUEL SYSTEM; 90% OF THE LIQUID WAS CLEAR WATER. WATER WAS ALSO DISCOVERED IN THE CARBURETOR BOWL, AND THE FILTER ASSEMBLY. REPORTEDLY THE AIRPLANE WAS REFUELED ABOUT TWO DAYS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT, AND SUBSEQUENT TO THE REFUELING, THE AREA EXPERIENCED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY. SECURITY OF THE FUEL CAPS AFTER THE REFUELING WAS NOT CONFIRMED. THE PILOT DID NOT REPORT CHECKING AND SECURING THE FUEL CAPS DURING THE PREFLIGHT INSPECTION.

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 ATL99LA034Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportShelbyville, TNWater contamination of the fuel supply, resulting from the pilot's inadequate preflight inspection.Dec 14, 1998 · Substantial damage