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20010107013589I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Cessna 172S · Ruston, LA · January 7, 2001

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
January 7, 2001 · 15:00 local
Place
Ruston, LA
Airport
Ruston Municipal Airport
Phase of flight
Missed Approach IFR
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator
GP8S
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N980SP
Reported as
Cessna 172S
Reported engine
Lycoming IO360L2A
N980SPRegistered now · Cessna 172SS/N 172S8182 · Built 1999Airframe modelCessna 172SEngine modelLycoming I0360 seriesReciprocating

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.

(-23) On February 7, 2001, at 1500 CST, a Cessna 172 airplane, N980SP, operated by Louisiana tech university, sustained minor damage during a forced landing after a loss of power while practicing power stalls near Ruston, LA. As a result of the initial investigation probable cause of the incident has not been determined. Cessna, Lycoming and the NTSB are still investigating this sudden engine stoppage that has caused severa owner/operators accidents due to the same situation developing. La. Tech with approval of Cessna and lyc. Have issued additional I0-360 series idle speed and mixture adjustment procedures for their students/aircraft. Later finding discovered that the idle and mixture settings were the problem. The mixture setting was too rich causing a 200 RPM rise when the engine was leaned with the mixture control. Also, the engine would not idle and quit when the throttle was pulled back. Investigators agreed that something was not right with the fuel metering system on the engine. Lyc. Has issued a IO-360 series fuel mixture leaning procedure service instruction, no.1094, to recommend operational guidelines during engine operation.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON FEBRUARY 7, 2001, AT 1500 CST, A CESSNA 172 AIRPLANE, N980SP, OPERATED BY LOUISIANA TECH UNIVERSITY, SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE DURING A FORCED LANDING AFTER A LOSS OF POWER WHILE PRACTICING POWER STALLS NEAR RUSTON, LA. AS A RESULT OF THE INITIAL INVESTIGATION PROBABLE CAUSE OF THE INCIDENT HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED. CESSNA, LYCOMING AND THE NTSB ARE STILL INVESTIGATING THIS SUDDEN ENGINE STOPPAGE THAT HAS CAUSED SEVERA OWNER/OPERATORS ACCIDENTS DUE TO THE SAME SITUATION DEVELOPING. LA. TECH WITH APPROVAL OF CESSNA AND LYC. HAVE ISSUED ADDITIONAL I0-360 SERIES IDLE SPEED AND MIXTURE ADJUSTMENT PROCEDURES FOR THEIR STUDENTS/AIRCRAFT. LATER FINDING DISCOVERED THAT THE IDLE AND MIXTURE SETTINGS WERE THE PROBLEM. THE MIXTURE SETTING WAS TOO RICH CAUSING A 200 RPM RISE WHEN THE ENGINE WAS LEANED WITH THE MIXTURE CONTROL. ALSO, THE ENGINE WOULD NOT IDLE AND QUIT WHEN THE THROTTLE WAS PULLED BACK. INVESTIGATORS AGREED THAT SOMETHING WAS NOT RIGHT WITH THE FUEL METERING SYSTEM ON THE ENGINE. LYC. HAS ISSUED A IO-360 SERIES FUEL MIXTURE LEANING PROCEDURE SERVICE INSTRUCTION, NO.1094, TO RECOMMEND OPERATIONAL GUIDELINES DURING ENGINE OPERATION.