19991128047059A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 175 · Indian Trail, NC · November 28, 1999

Date
November 28, 1999 · 21:00 local
Place
Indian Trail, NC
Airport
Mint Hill-Matthews Airport
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N7145M
NTSB investigation
NTSBMIA00LA031
Reported as
Cessna 175
Reported engine
Continental O470J
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
203 total11 in this make and model

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)Following about 2.5 hours of banner towing in the washingto n, dc/baltimore area, the flight landed at mitchellville, Maryland, and pumped 21 to 22 gallons of fuel aboard for the return to their home base of goose creek airport, Mint Hill, north carolina. The landing approach to goose creek appeared high, and the PIC decided to go around for a second attempt. As power was being added for the go around, the engine quit and the PIC gave the controls to the sic/safety pilot, who conducted a forced landing to a vacant field. A total of 5 to 10 gallons was found in the wreckage, and the type certificate data sheets state that 9 gallons is unusable. The engine operated satisfactorily during a factory test cell run. (-23)on November 28, 1999, about 2113 EST, a Cessna 175, N7145M, sn 55445, registered to a private individual, operating as a title 14 CFR part 91 personal flight, crashed while attempting a go-around at goose creek airport, Mint Hill, north carolina. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan jwas filed. The airplane sustained substantial damage, and the commerical-rated pilot and a private-rated passenger were not injured. The flight originated from mitchellville, Maryland, about 2 hours and 42 mintues before the accident. The pilot-in-command stated that their landing approach was too high and they were into the go-around maneuver when the engine quit as suddenly as if, "the mags were shut off". During the subsequent forced landing, the airplane clipped two high tension wires and landed in a field, collapsing the nose landing gear. This investigator arrived on seen approximately 2230 hours local. The aircraft was standing upright nose down with the nose gear collapsed. Substantial damage to the propeller, engine mount, firewall and cowling. There was also ancillary damage to the left wing leading edge: damage to right wing tip, and a dent to right horizontal stabilizer. There was trace fuel in the right tank and several gallons in the left tank. While the fuel selector valve was set to the left tank, the PIC stated he had done so after the engine had quit. The aircraft had an stcd Continental O-470A engine installled in 1979. The aircraft had the standard fuel tanks installed. Full fuel at maximum cruise power would give the aircraft approximately 4 hours. Examination of the engine show ed spark at the plug, and fuel in the carburetor bowl. There was continuity in the throttle/carb heat, and mixture controls.

As the FAA filed it

(.4)FOLLOWING ABOUT 2.5 HOURS OF BANNER TOWING IN THE WASHINGTO N, DC/BALTIMORE AREA, THE FLIGHT LANDED AT MITCHELLVILLE, MARYLAND, AND PUMPED 21 TO 22 GALLONS OF FUEL ABOARD FOR THE RETURN TO THEIR HOME BASE OF GOOSE CREEK AIRPORT, MINT HILL, NORTH CAROLINA. THE LANDING APPROACH TO GOOSE CREEK APPEARED HIGH, AND THE PIC DECIDED TO GO AROUND FOR A SECOND ATTEMPT. AS POWER WAS BEING ADDED FOR THE GO AROUND, THE ENGINE QUIT AND THE PIC GAVE THE CONTROLS TO THE SIC/SAFETY PILOT, WHO CONDUCTED A FORCED LANDING TO A VACANT FIELD. A TOTAL OF 5 TO 10 GALLONS WAS FOUND IN THE WRECKAGE, AND THE TYPE CERTIFICATE DATA SHEETS STATE THAT 9 GALLONS IS UNUSABLE. THE ENGINE OPERATED SATISFACTORILY DURING A FACTORY TEST CELL RUN. (-23)ON NOVEMBER 28, 1999, ABOUT 2113 EST, A CESSNA 175, N7145M, SN 55445, REGISTERED TO A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL, OPERATING AS A TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT, CRASHED WHILE ATTEMPTING A GO-AROUND AT GOOSE CREEK AIRPORT, MINT HILL, NORTH CAROLINA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN JWAS FILED. THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, AND THE COMMERICAL-RATED PILOT AND A PRIVATE-RATED PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM MITCHELLVILLE, MARYLAND, ABOUT 2 HOURS AND 42 MINTUES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND STATED THAT THEIR LANDING APPROACH WAS TOO HIGH AND THEY WERE INTO THE GO-AROUND MANEUVER WHEN THE ENGINE QUIT AS SUDDENLY AS IF, "THE MAGS WERE SHUT OFF". DURING THE SUBSEQUENT FORCED LANDING, THE AIRPLANE CLIPPED TWO HIGH TENSION WIRES AND LANDED IN A FIELD, COLLAPSING THE NOSE LANDING GEAR. THIS INVESTIGATOR ARRIVED ON SEEN APPROXIMATELY 2230 HOURS LOCAL. THE AIRCRAFT WAS STANDING UPRIGHT NOSE DOWN WITH THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED. SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER, ENGINE MOUNT, FIREWALL AND COWLING. THERE WAS ALSO ANCILLARY DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING LEADING EDGE: DAMAGE TO RIGHT WING TIP, AND A DENT TO RIGHT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER. THERE WAS TRACE FUEL IN THE RIGHT TANK AND SEVERAL GALLONS IN THE LEFT TANK. WHILE THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE WAS SET TO THE LEFT TANK, THE PIC STATED HE HAD DONE SO AFTER THE ENGINE HAD QUIT. THE AIRCRAFT HAD AN STCD CONTINENTAL O-470A ENGINE INSTALLLED IN 1979. THE AIRCRAFT HAD THE STANDARD FUEL TANKS INSTALLED. FULL FUEL AT MAXIMUM CRUISE POWER WOULD GIVE THE AIRCRAFT APPROXIMATELY 4 HOURS. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE SHOW ED SPARK AT THE PLUG, AND FUEL IN THE CARBURETOR BOWL. THERE WAS CONTINUITY IN THE THROTTLE/CARB HEAT, AND MIXTURE CONTROLS.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.