20040914031279I

Incident

FAA incident report · Cessna 172B · Lawrenceville, NJ · September 14, 2004

Date: September 14, 2004
Place: Lawrenceville, NJ
Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Aircraft: N8214X
Reported as: Cessna 172B
Reported engine: Lycoming O360*
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 589 total500 in this make and model

N8214XRegistered now · Cessna 172BS/N 17248714 · Built 1961 Airframe modelCessna 172B Engine modelContinental 0-300 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) In cruise at 2500 feet pilot moved fuel selector from right to left tank and engine lost power. Attempted restart several times with fuel selector in left, both, and right. Engine started successfully twice, ran for approximately twenty seconds and shut down. Pilot had attempted to reach ttn. Declared emergency and landed in soybean field approximately three miles from ttn. There were no injuries and no damage to the aircraft during the off airport landing. The aircraft was examined by maintenance personnel from ronson aviation of ttn and after troubleshooting was found to have fuel starvation due to a blocked fuel vent line. The line was cleared and the aircraft was run successfully. It was subsequently flown to ttn without incident. As preventive measures both fuel caps and the fuel selector were replaced to preclude further difficulty. An m&d report will be filed by the repair station.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) IN CRUISE AT 2500 FEET PILOT MOVED FUEL SELECTOR FROM RIGHT TO LEFT TANK AND ENGINE LOST POWER. ATTEMPTED RESTART SEVERAL TIMES WITH FUEL SELECTOR IN LEFT, BOTH, AND RIGHT. ENGINE STARTED SUCCESSFULLY TWICE, RAN FOR APPROXIMATELY TWENTY SECONDS AND SHUT DOWN. PILOT HAD ATTEMPTED TO REACH TTN. DECLARED EMERGENCY AND LANDED IN SOYBEAN FIELD APPROXIMATELY THREE MILES FROM TTN. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND NO DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT DURING THE OFF AIRPORT LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT WAS EXAMINED BY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL FROM RONSON AVIATION OF TTN AND AFTER TROUBLESHOOTING WAS FOUND TO HAVE FUEL STARVATION DUE TO A BLOCKED FUEL VENT LINE. THE LINE WAS CLEARED AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS RUN SUCCESSFULLY. IT WAS SUBSEQUENTLY FLOWN TO TTN WITHOUT INCIDENT. AS PREVENTIVE MEASURES BOTH FUEL CAPS AND THE FUEL SELECTOR WERE REPLACED TO PRECLUDE FURTHER DIFFICULTY. AN M&D REPORT WILL BE FILED BY THE REPAIR STATION.