20080726842979I

Incident · No damage

FAA incident report · Cessna 172N · Unityville, PA · July 26, 2008

Date: July 26, 2008
Place: Unityville, PA
Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: No damage
Aircraft: N3435E
Reported as: Cessna 172N
Reported engine: Lycoming O320H2AD
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 154 total40 in this make and model24 in the last 90 days

N3435ERegistered now · Cessna 172NS/N 17271547 · Built 1978 Airframe modelCessna 172N Engine 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) On 26 July 2008, during cruise flight in VMC, on an IFR flight at 5000 ft MSL, aircraft displayed electrical system anomolies indicated by the GPS shutting down, fuel gauges indication at or near zero (incorrect reading), NORDO with displays flickering intensity and the transponder not effecting change when dialing different code (7600). Pilot selected a field and executed a power-on emergency landing to an open field concerned of his fuel status considering a possible fuel leak. He selected full flaps and they did not extend. The landing was uneventful. After landing, flaps were observed 'full down'. Post flight inspection indicated that electrical system operated normally.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON 26 JULY 2008, DURING CRUISE FLIGHT IN VMC, ON AN IFR FLIGHT AT 5000 FT MSL, AIRCRAFT DISPLAYED ELECTRICAL SYSTEM ANOMOLIES INDICATED BY THE GPS SHUTTING DOWN, FUEL GAUGES INDICATION AT OR NEAR ZERO (INCORRECT READING), NORDO WITH DISPLAYS FLICKERING INTENSITY AND THE TRANSPONDER NOT EFFECTING CHANGE WHEN DIALING DIFFERENT CODE (7600). PILOT SELECTED A FIELD AND EXECUTED A POWER-ON EMERGENCY LANDING TO AN OPEN FIELD CONCERNED OF HIS FUEL STATUS CONSIDERING A POSSIBLE FUEL LEAK. HE SELECTED FULL FLAPS AND THEY DID NOT EXTEND. THE LANDING WAS UNEVENTFUL. AFTER LANDING, FLAPS WERE OBSERVED 'FULL DOWN'. POST FLIGHT INSPECTION INDICATED THAT ELECTRICAL SYSTEM OPERATED NORMALLY.