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20040424009199A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Cessna 172N · Lyons, CO · April 24, 2004

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
April 24, 2004 · 10:50 local
Place
Lyons, CO
Phase of flight
Sfl Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N5048E
NTSB investigation
NTSBDEN04CA067
Reported as
Cessna 172N
Reported engine
Lycoming O320H2AD
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
1,195 total180 in this make and model27 in the last 90 days
N5048ERegistration cancelled Aug 4, 2011 · Cessna 172NS/N 17271699 · Built 1978Airframe modelCessna 172NEngine modelLycoming 0-320 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) Aircraft departed longmont vance brand airport (2V2) on a training flight with an instructor and student on board. The student pilot under direction of the instructor initiated a cruise descent at 2200 RPM. According to the instructor, he simulated an engine failure during this descent by applying carburetor and heat reducing power to 1400 RPM. Student slowed to 65-70 KTS and instructor reduced power further to idle. Instructor states he noticed a loss of power or change in sound during the descent. Instructor advanced throttle and received no response from engine. Instructor enriched mixture and advanced throttle again and received a surge in RPM. Instructor unable to get any further response from engine and completed the engine failure checklist. Instructor could not restart engine and landed power off on a road. In order to avoid two cyclists instructor swerved into the left ditch and hit a pole causing substantial damage to the aircraft. Damage included the left horizontal stabilizer, twisting of the aft section of the fuselage and aft wing spar damage to the left main wing caused by striking signs and poles. There were no injuries.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AIRCRAFT DEPARTED LONGMONT VANCE BRAND AIRPORT (2V2) ON A TRAINING FLIGHT WITH AN INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT ON BOARD. THE STUDENT PILOT UNDER DIRECTION OF THE INSTRUCTOR INITIATED A CRUISE DESCENT AT 2200 RPM. ACCORDING TO THE INSTRUCTOR, HE SIMULATED AN ENGINE FAILURE DURING THIS DESCENT BY APPLYING CARBURETOR AND HEAT REDUCING POWER TO 1400 RPM. STUDENT SLOWED TO 65-70 KTS AND INSTRUCTOR REDUCED POWER FURTHER TO IDLE. INSTRUCTOR STATES HE NOTICED A LOSS OF POWER OR CHANGE IN SOUND DURING THE DESCENT. INSTRUCTOR ADVANCED THROTTLE AND RECEIVED NO RESPONSE FROM ENGINE. INSTRUCTOR ENRICHED MIXTURE AND ADVANCED THROTTLE AGAIN AND RECEIVED A SURGE IN RPM. INSTRUCTOR UNABLE TO GET ANY FURTHER RESPONSE FROM ENGINE AND COMPLETED THE ENGINE FAILURE CHECKLIST. INSTRUCTOR COULD NOT RESTART ENGINE AND LANDED POWER OFF ON A ROAD. IN ORDER TO AVOID TWO CYCLISTS INSTRUCTOR SWERVED INTO THE LEFT DITCH AND HIT A POLE CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. DAMAGE INCLUDED THE LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER, TWISTING OF THE AFT SECTION OF THE FUSELAGE AND AFT WING SPAR DAMAGE TO THE LEFT MAIN WING CAUSED BY STRIKING SIGNS AND POLES. THERE WERE NO INJURIES.

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 DEN04CA067Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportLyons, COa loss of engine power due to carburetor icing. Contributing factors were weather conditions conducive to carburetor icing and unsuitable terrain available on which to make a forced landing and the road sign.Apr 24, 2004 · Substantial damage