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20050129001149I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Cessna 172H · Madera, CA · January 29, 2005

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
January 29, 2005 · 14:30 local
Place
Madera, CA
Airport
Madera Municipal Airport
Phase of flight
Forced Landing
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N8157L
Reported as
Cessna 172H
Reported engine
Continental O300*
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
29,000 total6,000 in this make and model30 in the last 90 days
N8157LRegistered now · Cessna 172HS/N 17256357Airframe modelCessna 172HEngine 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) During final approach to the Madera muni airport (mae), the aircraft experienced a loss of engine power and landed short of runway 30 approximately 215 feet in the dirt. There were no injuries sustained when the aircraft finally came to rest. The pilot-in-charge (PIC) reported the engine began to sputter and eventually stopped operating while on final approach with an airspeed of 70 knots and an altitude of 600 feet and carburetor heat on. Upon impact, the aircraft's lower nose gear strut was torn-off (no damage to the firewall) and there was minor damage found on the left wing tip due to it contacting the ground. The aircraft'f fuel system was investigated for any possible contamination, which was found to be satisfactory. Also, the carburetor heat (air box) control valve was checked along with the engine's timing prior to operation and both were found to be satisfactory. There were no unusual airworthiness items found that contributed to the stoppage of the engine. A teardown of the engine to comply with the manufacturer's recommendation of inspecting the internal components for sudden engine stoppage prior to returning the engine back to service is pending.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) DURING FINAL APPROACH TO THE MADERA MUNI AIRPORT (MAE), THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER AND LANDED SHORT OF RUNWAY 30 APPROXIMATELY 215 FEET IN THE DIRT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES SUSTAINED WHEN THE AIRCRAFT FINALLY CAME TO REST. THE PILOT-IN-CHARGE (PIC) REPORTED THE ENGINE BEGAN TO SPUTTER AND EVENTUALLY STOPPED OPERATING WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH WITH AN AIRSPEED OF 70 KNOTS AND AN ALTITUDE OF 600 FEET AND CARBURETOR HEAT ON. UPON IMPACT, THE AIRCRAFT'S LOWER NOSE GEAR STRUT WAS TORN-OFF (NO DAMAGE TO THE FIREWALL) AND THERE WAS MINOR DAMAGE FOUND ON THE LEFT WING TIP DUE TO IT CONTACTING THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT'F FUEL SYSTEM WAS INVESTIGATED FOR ANY POSSIBLE CONTAMINATION, WHICH WAS FOUND TO BE SATISFACTORY. ALSO, THE CARBURETOR HEAT (AIR BOX) CONTROL VALVE WAS CHECKED ALONG WITH THE ENGINE'S TIMING PRIOR TO OPERATION AND BOTH WERE FOUND TO BE SATISFACTORY. THERE WERE NO UNUSUAL AIRWORTHINESS ITEMS FOUND THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THE STOPPAGE OF THE ENGINE. A TEARDOWN OF THE ENGINE TO COMPLY WITH THE MANUFACTURER'S RECOMMENDATION OF INSPECTING THE INTERNAL COMPONENTS FOR SUDDEN ENGINE STOPPAGE PRIOR TO RETURNING THE ENGINE BACK TO SERVICE IS PENDING.